Flee
by Embyr7
Summary: A continuation from GG4. What will Cammie do after she leaves Gallagher Academy? Will she be able to survive without all of her friends? Will Zach find her in time to protect her? Will the COC find Cammie...or will she find them first?
1. Changes

_Disclaimer: Everything belongs to Ally Carter. _**  
**

**Cammie's POV**

That was it. I did it. _I left school. By myself._ I figured I would be gone for a while, so I got a small apartment with some of the money I borrowed (stole) from my mom's wallet. It was a decent place – with a kitchen, a bathroom, and a bedroom.

I figured that I should change my appearance, too. So I bought some reddish-brownish hair-dye and changed my brown hair. I didn't have the heart to change my eye color, so I left my dark blue eyes alone. I curled my hair everyday, which I never did when I was at Gallagher Academy. Macey would be proud.

_Macey,_ I thought, _I miss them so much... _

I had thought over about how I would hide from everybody, and I figured hiding in plain sight would be the easiest way. So I enrolled myself to high school.

YES. I said it. I would be going to a normal high school with normal people, and I would have to be a normal person. Tomorrow's the first day...

Since regular high school doesn't give nearly as much homework as Gallagher, I figured I would have homework done in an hour at most. That would give me plenty of time to search for the COC and find out how to bring them down.

I sighed. I guess it's time to go to sleep now. I hopped into my small bed and was just about to fall asleep, when a voice woke me up.

"Gallagher Girl..."

I gasped and sat up, staring straight into mesmerizing, dark green eyes.


	2. Maybe I Should've Taken Him With Me

**Cammie's POV**

"_Zach?"_ I whisper-shrieked, sitting straight up in bed.

"Cammie." he glared at me.

"How the hell did you _find_ me?" I asked, my eyes big.

He sighed and walked over, sitting next to me on the bed. "I liked your hair better brown," he murmured, his eyes filled with sadness. He lifted his hand and caught a strand between his fingers.

It was my turn to sigh, and after that we just sat there in awkward silence for a minute.

"Cammie," he broke through the silence and turned to me. "You know when I thought it was a good idea to run away?" I nodded. "I meant _with me._ To run away with _me,_ not BY YOURSELF! DO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH TROUBLE YOU COULD'VE GOTTEN INTO? YOU COULD BE DEAD, CAM!" He started exploding, and I half-expected him to pop a vein or something.

"But if I took you with me, then you would be in danger, too..." I whispered, tears falling down my cheeks.

He took my face between his hands and wiped my wet cheeks with his thumbs.

"I'm willing to take that chance," he said softly, and then pressed his lips to mine. I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed him back. He leaned away and rested his head on my shoulder.

"I was so worried about you." he stated.

"Sorry." I said back. It was the best I could do, since I was already starting to fall asleep. He chuckled and lifted his head, kissing my cheek and laying me back down on the pillow. The last thing I felt before I fell asleep was him wrapping his arms protectively around me and clutching me closer to his body.

I woke up, and noticed that Zach's arms were still around me. I didn't want to wake him up, so I decided to lay there and think until he woke up. He had been surprisingly nice to me last night, but that was probably just from shock. He would be back to his old stupid smirky self sooner or later. I craned my neck so I could look at him without moving my body.

He looked so innocent while he slept...his thick, dark brown lashes cast shadows on his cheeks, and his mouth was pushed slightly into a frown. I looked at the clock. WHAT? IT WAS ALREADY 8:00? Shit! School started in twenty minutes! Forgetting about Zach momentarily, I leaped out of his arms and he jerked awake.

"Good thing I showered last night.." I mumbled to myself as I brushed my teeth. I washed my face and changed into dark blue skinny jeans, a white one-shoulder tank top, and a black leather jacket. I curled my hair in record time, and put on black leather knee-high boots. I sprinted out of the bathroom and grabbed my dark purple backpack, and I remembered the spy still sitting groggily on my bed, watching me frantically get ready.

"Zach!" I whirled around, some hair getting in my mouth. I hurriedly pulled it out. "I have to go to school..."

He raised an eyebrow and smirked. "I know." I gave him a confused look.

Zach pointed to himself and mouthed, "Spy."

"Would you quit doing that!" I thumped him gently on the shoulder and looked at the clock. 8:10. Okay. Ten minutes. I could walk to school in ten minutes. I looked at Zach and wondered if I should take him with me...

"Do you want to come to school, too?" I asked.

There was a silence as he thought about it. I really expected him to say yes.

"Nope. Maybe tomorrow.." he sighed and flopped back down on the bed. "I'm tired from chasing you around all day yesterday..." I smiled and walked over, kissing him on the forehead. He lifted his head up and his lips reached mine, until I remembered that I was running late. I mumbled a good-bye and then sprinted out the door, my purple backpack slung over my left shoulder. Leaving my spy boyfriend in my apartment. With all my belongings. With nothing to do for seven hours.

_Maybe I should've taken him with me... _


	3. Chandler

**Cammie's POV**

_Maybe I should've taken him with me..._

But I shooed away that thought and sprinted to school. Once I got near it, I slowed down so I didn't look like a panting idiot. Because of my spy training, I wasn't afraid of anyone kidnapping me, and I slowed my heart down a bit so I would stop sweating.  
I entered the front office and a gust of warm air attacked my face. My long reddish hair was tumbling around my backpack like a waterfall.

"Hi..." I started, but the lady at the front desk held up her left palm, which was still clutching her pen, as her right hand held a cream phone.

I heard her muttering something about a Stark and how poor little Stark is gonna get sent off to military school. I tried to hold in my snort. Once she was done, I shuffled up to her awkwardly and gave her my school registration packet.

She handed me my new schedule and I looked at it.

Period 1: Math

Period 2: PE

Period 3: Science

Period 4: English

Period 5: Social Studies

Period 6: Choir

Wait. Choir? I can't sing!

"What _is_ this insanity?" I muttered to myself, having a dramatic moment. I never expected someone to HEAR me. A soft chuckle erupted from a tall figure, and I looked up and saw a guy with a black backpack looking at me, a smirk on his lips.

"What insanity?" He asked in a low voice, glancing down at the schedule in my hands.

"I have to _sing_." I mumbled. I let out a low huff and was about to leave, until he stuck out his hand.

"I'm Chandler." I looked up to him with my blue eyes and let out a tiny smile. I slowly took my hand out of my pocket and shook his, trying to decide whether or not to tell him my real name. Well, I already told the school my name was Cammie Moore, so I mumbled out something that sounded like, "Cam..."

"Nice to meet you, Cam," he saw some of his friends, so he turned around and winked at me, and said, "See you in choir."

Why was I so nervous all of a sudden?

'I don't know,' I thought, arguing with myself. 'Now that I think about it, being _normal_ is terrifying! ...And it's lonely without Zach here.' I added in a small voice.

I was definitely making him come with me tomorrow. I speed-walked to first period, my heels clacking on the white floor, and I felt a lot of eyes on me.

I pushed my fluttery side-bangs out of my face and opened the door to Math. I gave the teacher my schedule so he could sign it, and then took a seat in the back of the room. Since I already was pretty much done learning all of the math I could, Calculus would be an easy review for me. Like a 7th grader doing addition. I sat through the lecture in complete boredom, and once in a while I would see people swivel around in their chair to 'discreetly' glance at me.

'Yeah,' I shot out at them in my head, 'that's gonna make the new girl feel better!'

As soon as the bell rang, I sprinted out of the door, excited for PE. It was my favorite class back at Gallagher, and it would probably be my favorite here, too.

I changed the girl's locker room into a grey T-shirt and black shorts. We had to tuck in our shirt, so I did. The shorts went down to my knees, so I rolled them up three or four times. I quickly brushed through my hair with the comb in my backpack, and walked outside in my VANS, which I used to replace the boots I had been wearing.

My PE coach, Mr. Stanley, announced that we would be doing the soccer unit. I smiled.

'YES!' I thought, 'I'm awesome at soccer!'

He chose five team captains and, of course, I got chosen last.

I stole Zach's smirk as the last team groaned as I walked towards them. I can have them tied up with duct tape and thrown into the janitor's closet until the middle of January without anybody noticing, so they should stop looking at me as if I'm a three legged pig, or something. I had two other girls on my team, who were best friends, so I doubted they would talk to me. The rest of the team were guys. There were five of them, and they all seemed to be friends, too.

Mr. Stanley had to make the teams a little smaller, since it was easier to learn that way. He asked for two groups to volunteer who knew how to play soccer. Before I knew it, our team was up against a team of four girls and four guys.

I snickered. We would so beat them.

Mr. Stanley blew the whistle, and a blonde in a tight ponytail was running clumsily to our goal, trying to dribble and NOT trip over the ball. I intercepted easily and stole the ball from her, sprinting, while gracefully dribbling, over to their goal, whose goalie looked a bit shocked and scared. A guy with light brown hair tried to steal the ball from me, but I swerved around him and used that momentum to kick it in the soccer goal with the side of my foot with as much force as I could muster. It left my foot and went soaring into the air with a load, _THWAP!_ Everyone, even Mr. Stanley, was watching in awe. It soared above the goalie's head and practically burned a hole through the net in the top left corner.

The black and white ball plopped to the ground, and for a few seconds, all I could hear was silence. Then, one by one, my team started cheering, and so did the rest of the class watching. I smiled shyly and ran my right hand through my bangs, sitting back down.

I went to 3rd and 4th period, and finally, after eating lunch, I got to choir. I looked on the board and saw that we had to sing a solo on our FIRST DAY, for the teacher to decide where to place you – in the front or back. She gave us a list of songs to choose from, and I decided to sing The Best Day by Taylor Swift.

When I got up there, everyone was staring at me. People from my PE class were whispering, "That's her, that's the soccer girl!"

I saw Chandler in the audience, looking at me with his head tipped to the side, probably wondering if I was a good singer or not. Well, my mom was a good singer, but I've never sang in front of anybody before. Might as well give it a shot.

I got up stage and sat down, lowering the microphone so it would be in front of my lips. The music started, and I got nervous. 'Too late now,' I thought.

_I'm 5 years old it's getting cold I've got my big coat on_

_I hear your laugh and look up smiling at you_

_I run and run_

_Past the pumpkin patch and the tractor rides_

_Look now – the sky is gold_

_I hug your legs and fall asleep _

_On the way home_

_I don't know why_

_All the trees change in the fa-a-all_

_I know you're not scared_

_Of anything at a-a-all_

_Don't know if Snow White's house if near or far away_

_But I know I had the best day_

_With you_

_Today_

As their was a break in the singing, I could hear loud whispers, and Chandler was smiling at me, his eyebrows raised. I continued singing.

_I'm thirteen now and don't know how my friends_

_Could be so mean_

_I come home crying and you hold me tight_

_And grab the keys_

_And we drive and drive until we found a town far enough away_

_And we talk and window shop 'til I forgot all their names_

_I don't know who I'm gonna talk to now at schoo-oo-ool_

_I know I'm laughing on the car ride home with you-oo-oo_

_Don't know how long it's gonna take to feel okay_

_But I know I had the best day  
With you_

_Today_

_I have an excellent father_

_His strength is making me stronger_

_God smiles on my little brother_

_Inside and out he's better than I am_

_I grew up in a pretty house and I had space to run (and practice round-house kicks!)_

_And I had the best days with you.._

_There is a video I found from back when I was three_

_You set up a paint set in the kitchen and you're talking to me_

_It's the age of princesses and pirate ships and the 7 dwarfs_

_And daddy's smart and you're the prettiest lady in the whole wide world_

_Now I know why all the trees change in the fa-a-all_

_I know you were on my side even when I was wrong_

_And I love you for giving me your eyes_

_Staying back and watching me shine, and_

_I didn't know if you knew_

_So I'm taking this change to say_

_That I had the best day_

_With you_

_Today..._

I didn't look up and bow or anything, I just leaped off the stage and took my seat. Even through the sudden eruption of applause and whistles, I didn't look up. I swept my bangs to cover my eyes, since they were wet. Because I suddenly realized what that song was about.

_Mom, _I thought miserably, _I miss you. I'm sorry!_

At least this was 6th period. As soon as the bell rang, I sprinted out until someone caught my arm. I turned around, ready to punch whoever it was in the gut. I just wanted to go home and cry into Zach's shoulder. As I fisted my hand, I saw that it was Chandler.

"Hey," he said, "You're a pretty good..." He trailed off when he saw the tears in my eyes.

"Cam! What's wrong?" I loosened my fist.

"Nothing. Nothing at all." I turned on my heel and sprinted out of the school, all the way home. I opened the apartment door...

...and Zach was no where to be found.

"Zach..?" I saw, rubbing at my eyes.

"In the kitchen!" I walked in and he was eating Cup Noodles.

"Hey," he stood up as soon as he saw my red-rimmed eyes. "Cams..?"

I let out a sob and ran into his hug, crying into his shirt.


	4. Masquerade Ball

**Zach's POV**

I heard the door open and Cammie walked in.

"Zach..?" I heard her call.

"In the kitchen!" I called back, blowing on my noodles.

She walked in and I looked up – her eyes were wet and red. I stood up, a concerned expression on my face.

"Cams..?"

She let out a sob and I opened my arms, and she cried into my chest. I smoothed her hair and picked her up, laying down with her under the covers. She was crying so violently that she was shaking. She didn't stop for 45 minutes...

**Cammie's POV**

After exactly 45 minutes, I stopped.

'_Why am I even crying so hard?' _I thought to myself. _'It's just for one summer. I promised them that I would be back by the end of summer..it's not like I'm never going to see them again! And I have Zach.' _

But deep down inside, I knew I wasn't just crying for leaving. I was crying for everything, my mom, my friends, my dad, MYSELF. All of those tears that I had kept inside all this time had finally built up and exploded out of me.

Zach kept smoothing out my hair and whispering that everything was going to be fine, even though he still didn't know why I was crying. And I didn't feel like telling him, either. I turned around in his arms so my face was pressed into his chest. I calmed my breathing and he lifted my face up so he could look me in the eyes.

"Want to tell me why you were crying?" he asked in a soft voice, his eyes worried and pleading.

"No."

He cocked a brow, smirking again.  
"Oh? You think you can get away with that, do ya?" He flipped us over so he was on top of me, and he pinned my arms down, holding my wrists with one hand.

"Give up, Cammie! You know you'll never win!" he said as I was struggling to get him off of me. I kicked his knees out – for he had been crouching above me – and pinned HIM down. I smiled and raised my eyebrows.

"I win!"

But right after I said that, he easily flipped us back over.

"ZACH, NO FAIR!" I squealed as he started to tickle me. He didn't stop until I turned purple and was gasping for air.

I turned on my side and smile up at him, since his head was propped on his elbow.

"Love you."

"Love you too, Gallagher Girl."

I looked at the clock. 3:58, it read. I got started on my homework, which only took 23 minutes and 17 seconds. After I was done, I looked at Zach.

"Have you found anything about the Circle yet?" I asked him.

He looked up, remembering something.

"Actually, yes. My mom is hosting a dance tonight, but it's really a Circle meeting..do you want to go? It's at 7:30."

"Yea, we should go. Just to...find out what's going on."

"Oh, and one more thing." Zach turned back around to face me.

"Yea?"

"It's a masquerade ball. Do you have a renaissance-like dress?"

"Actually, yes. It was a CoveOps assignment."

"Good. What color?"

"Dark green – with some black."

"Kay." He grabbed his wallet and left to go buy masks.

I guess I should start getting ready. I took a shower and stood in front of the floor-length mirror in the bathroom, still wrapped in my towel. First I twisted my hair into two braids. Then I put on my bra and panties. I shuffled around in my closet and found it – it was renaissance-y and modern at the same time. It was a dark green with black stitching. It was made out of a silky material. The sleeves down to the elbows were loose, with shoulder cutouts, and then it suddenly became very tight around my arms. They were sleeve-glove things, so there was a small piece of fabric in-between my middle and ring finger. It was a V-neck dress, and the top part of it was a corset-like thing. It stopped hugging my curves when it got right under my belly-button. From there it flowed out and swirled around my legs. It stopped right when it touched the floor, resting on it but not dragging behind me. There were black velvety tiny flowers on the bottom hem, and a velvet 'belt' around my waste. I put on black high heels and put on mascara, black eyeliner, and shimmer lotion. I heard Zach walk through the front door and walked out.

"How do I look?" I asked.

His eyes widened and his mouth opened in amazement.

"Oh – wow. Cammie, you look amazing! Beautiful. Stunning."

I laughed and gave him a hug. He changed into his black suit, and he looked even better than I did. He gave me a mask – it only covered half of my face – showing some of my nose and my lips – on which I dabbed on some red lipstick. It had eye holes and black trimmings all around. On the left side was a green feather – matching my dress exactly. Zach's was dark blue, since his suit had a blue tie.

"Zach, it's so pretty! Thank you!"

"No problem, Gallagher Girl." We slipped our masks on and looked at the clock. It was already 7:00. I slipped into the bathroom and pulled out my braids, and brushed out my hair. It was already dry, and it came to the small of my back in thick, gorgeous waves. The reddish tint to it stood out against my green dress. Zach walked it.

"You look even more pretty now." he smiled and kissed me. I, of course, kissed him back, running my hands through his soft mussed up hair.  
"Oh! I almost forgot.." I said, pulling away. I had a black strap around my thigh, and I pulled my dress up, momentarily forgetting Zach was there. He blushed and looked at the floor, but I could see him glancing at me from time to time. I put in some poison darts and daggers, and in the other one a spray that could knock you unconscious and, of course, my Napotine patches. When Zach saw what I was doing, he smirked and opened his jacket. It was filled with small knives and odd cans that contained things I probably did not need to know of.

"Great minds think alike," he stated.

I laughed. "Time to go!"

He took my hand and leaded me out to the taxi he had flagged, with people staring at us curiously, probably wondering where we were going in such fancy clothes.


	5. Awesome Mirrors

**Cammie's POV**

Zach led me into the taxi and I had sat down on the right side, careful not to cut my thighs with the knives hidden there. I shifted my mask so the feather would stop tickling my ear.

"Where's it's going to be at?" I asked Zach.

He looked at me through his eye-holes. "4738 Luna Avenue. It's in a big ballroom."

We arrived, and I was surprised at how many people Zach's mother had invited. There were at least 100 people there...women in beautiful, long flowing dresses and men in black tuxedos and suits. We stepped outside and Zach presented his golden invitation, and the security guard let us through. There was already an orchestra playing, so Zach and I started dancing, just to blend in. I looked up and he was smirking down at me. My leg, which held the Napotine Patches, twitched.

"Would you stop smirking? It'll blow our cover."

"How would smirking blow our cover?"

"Because you, you know, the REAL you, are always, always, ALWAYS smirking. And everybody knows it. So just smile like a NORMAL PERSON." I gasped, having said all that in the same breath.

He didn't answer, the smirk still in place.

After about an hour of dancing and eating, Zach's mom called attention to the room. I stiffened, and Zach wrapped a protective arm around my waist.

"ATTENTION! ATTENTION! The meeting will be held in the room upstairs! You have five minutes to change and get in your seats!" And with that, she walked up the stairs and disappeared into a room with a thick wooden door. Zach and I looked at each other.

We never brought anything to change into! We snuck upstairs to see if there was any other way into the meeting room. There wasn't. Suddenly, Zach pulled me into the dark hallway, and I was about to protest until I saw his mom flaunt out of the room, walking back down the stairs. No one else was in there – they were all changing into more comfortable clothes.

We snuck inside and saw that the room was a ballet studio – with mirrors on every side. I looked in and saw that they were the kinds of mirrors where if you were inside, you could see out, but they couldn't see in.

"Perfect!" I squealed, and pulled Zach in with me. It was dark and the air was stuffy, but we'll take what we could get. We didn't sit down – we stood in case someone opened up the sliding mirrors.

Pretty soon, the meeting started. Zach was holding my hand, and his grip tightened when his mother walked back into the room.

"Thank you, everybody, for being here. This meeting has now started – and nothing may be repeated once you are out of this building. Do you understand?"

Everybody sitting around the table – young, old, ugly, pretty - nodded.

"As you all know, our goal is to capture this girl." she pulled out a picture from her wallet and smacked it on the table. I couldn't see the picture. "This girl, Cameron Morgan, is our target." I froze. I already knew, of course, but watching it come out of this woman's mouth was somehow more terrifying than being a kidnapping victim already was.

"She has the information we need. Get her at any cost. We want her back ALIVE, so you may not kill her. You may injure her, but no fatal injuries, or there will be consequences."

Her voice turned cold while she spoke this sentence – no sympathy or emotion at all.

"I have some weapons you may use in here." she pointed to the closet Zach and I were hiding in. My eyes widened and I looked at Zach. He looked alarmed, too. His mother was getting closer and closer, getting ready to open the mirror, and right when her fingers were touching the glass, Zach slid open the door on the other side and pulled me along to the door. I heard shouts: "GET HER! GET THAT GIRL!" Crap. Apparently, my red hair wasn't doing such a good job disguising me...

We unhooked our fingers and turned around. There were at least 20 of them – we could take them. ….Right? No time for thinking, Cammie, just GO! I leaped on a very tall man's back, but regretted it when he bashed me into a wall. I gasped and dug my nails into his neck. I grabbed a Napotine Patch and slapped it on his face. As he fell to the floor, I turned around and did a round-house kick with my heel, and nailed a poor woman in the neck. I put a patch on her, just in case. Zach had already defeated 4 people – all laying on the floor, unconscious. I did a flip off the wall and kicked a man in the stomach. Then I turned around and socked someone in the neck, not hard enough to kill the person, but still, hard enough that I could already see a bruise forming on the tender skin.

Someone grabbed me from behind, and they picked me up and started dragging me backwards. I screamed and kicked, but this guy was STRONG. Zach saw me getting dragged away and he was next to us in an instant, pulling me back and kicking the guy in the face. The impact was so strong that he flew into a wall and was knocked unconscious. Suddenly, Zach's arms went limp around me and he fell to the floor.

"ZACH!" I screamed and knelt by his unconscious body. Suddenly, someone grabbed me, AGAIN, around the waist and dragged me back, away from Zach. I felt a sharp pain in the back of my head and blacked out.


	6. That's For the Pineapple, right?

**Zach's POV**

I woke up on a hard floor. I looked around – wait a second. This wasn't Cammie's apartment... I sat up – this was where Cammie and I were hiding - in the closet.

CAMMIE. I stood up.

"Cammie..?" she wasn't here. Jesus lord! I must have blacked out...

I sprinted down the long, elegant stairs and ran for 25.8 minutes until I got to the apartment building. I was still wearing my suit, but my mask had gotten knocked off. My hair was a tangled mess, and my tie was loose. I sprinted up the stairs two steps at a time and opened the apartment door.

"Cam?" I looked in the kitchen and knocked on the bathroom door – which fell open. She wasn't in here. And she wouldn't have left me in that ballroom...so there's only one thing that could've happened.

**Cammie's POV**

I woke, and the first thing I noticed was that I was chained to a wall. I still had my mask on – somehow it was still on my head, and my dress wasn't as ripped up as I expected it to be. Only a little tears here and there.

'Wow, Cammie,' I thought to myself. 'You've been captured by the COC and you're worrying about your _dress_?'

"Ah, good. You're awake." I looked up to see Zach's mom and two men on either side of her looking at me.

I blinked. How did I not notice them come in? All of my spy senses were off - I didn't know what time it was, or what day...I couldn't slow down my erratic heartbeat, and I was having a difficult time controlling my emotions.

"...W-What do you want from me?" My voice was scratchy and dry. My throat ached from lack of water, and my stomach was empty.

"Look, Morgan. We know that you have answers. We know that your mom or dad have told you some...secrets that we've been looking for."

"I don't know _anything._" And that much was true. Right?

"You _will_ give us answers. If you don't..." her voice trailed off, and I looked up, my waist-length hair in my face.

"If I don't..." I told her to go on, cocking a challenging eyebrow.

"If you don't, you'll be in a lot of pain. Let's just put it that way."

**1 HOUR LATER**

One of the men that was with Zach's mom came back, and he stood in front of me. I was sitting on the floor, since the chains wouldn't allow me to stand up. It was dark and extremely cold wherever I was - it felt like they locked me in a cooler - so I was sitting with my knees to my chest – my arms wrapped around my legs.

"Let's just get to it." He said in a deep, gruff voice. "What do you know about the Circle? What information did you father give you about us?"

"...The...Circle? Nothing! My dad never talked to me about anything spy-related when I was a kid!" I glared up at him. Obviously I wouldn't know any of the answers they were looking for.

"Don't even bother lying, Ms. Morgan. Or this will happen." He abruptly picked my up by my hair and punched my face. I fought back a scream – showing signs of weakness was..well..a weakness. He tossed me back to the floor and I sat up on my knees. My long hair was tangled and all over the place, and my heavy breathing it was making the strands in my face float up and down.

"Well, if you won't tell me what you know about the Circle, here's the easiest question we've got for you: Where is the Gallagher Academy database? In a...a computer, a chip?"

"And why would I tell you? I'm not going to betray my sisters no matter how much you hurt me." I said.

"Ahh. Mrs. Goode told me that you'd be stubborn. Maybe a little more pain will make you re-think your last sentence."

He made me stand up and slammed me into the wall. Oh, dear. I think I felt my brain move. He socked me in the stomach 6 times and then, seeing that that wouldn't work, he pulled out a knife.

_Oh, my god. Please tell me that you brought that knife for a pineapple to cut up and eat in front of my face...because that would probably be a much less painful but more effective form of torture. _

__My stomach growled.

Okay. So..he didn't bring a pineapple. He slowly cut a line around my wrist, and I whimpered a little. Blood dripped down my hand. Then he stabbed me in the stomach. That's when I blacked out. AGAIN. But not before I heard the door behind me break open and a familiar voice that screamed, "CAMMIE!"


	7. I Love You

**Zach's POV**

_What in the hell. What in the hell._

__I watched in horror as Cammie made a horrible choking noise, her eyes blue and huge, staring at mine, her pupils dilating rapidly, and then collapsed to the floor, blood flowing steadily from her stomach.

"YOU!" I roared, whirling to make eye contact with the man who had stabbed her. I must have looked freaking scary, because he took a step back, but he was still clutching the bloody knife that he had pulled out of Cammie's stomach.

"How." I took a step towards him. "Could you." Step. "Stab." Step. "The girl.' Step. "I _love_.?" Step. By then I was right in front of him, so I roundhouse kicked his face, and he smashed into the wall. His head was what absorbed the impact, and as he fell to the floor, I saw that it, just like Cammie's stomach, was bleeding heavily. And it didn't even bring me an ounce of guilt.

It felt good. He would die a slow, painful death for what he did to Cam. I walked over to him and stepped on his wrist, and the hand that was clutching the knife weakened and the knife clatters to the ground. I picked it up and was just about to stab _him_ in the stomach until something interrupted me.

"Zach.." Cammie whispered. _Cough._ "It hurts..." She whimpered.

I looked back at her – she was clutching her stomach and panting, tears gushing out of her eyes.

The knife immediately fell out of my hands and clattered to the floor. I picked her up gently and ran out of the door I had kicked down. I just thanked the lord that I had put a tracker in her mask.

**Cammie's POV**

I woke up in a state of bliss.

Unfortunately, the bliss didn't last for very long. I was extremely warm, and there was a funny tingling sensation in my tummy. But as the seconds flew by, the tingling increased, when suddenly a wave of nausea and pain swept over me so intensely that I almost barfed.

My eyes opened and I gasped out in pain. I clutched my bandaged stomach and started panting, whimpers escaping my throat.

"Cammie!" The source of my warmth was right next to me, and I was immediately aware of Zach on the bed next to me.

"It hurts." I whimpered.

"I know.." Zach whispered. He kissed my lips softly, gently. "It'll get better. I promise, Gallagher Girl."

"Thanks for getting me back." I whispered, smiling.

"I will _always _come to your rescue. Whether you like it or not." He smirked at me. I smiled back.

**TWO WEEKS LATER**

**Cammie's POV**

My stomach was all better, and today I was going back to school. Zach deepened his voice even more and pretended to be my dad, saying that I got the swine flu, but it was a mild case and I would be back soon.

Zach would come with me to school today, and I smiled at the thought of not having to eat lunch alone again.

"What you grinning 'bout?" Zach asked, brushing his teeth. A piece of foamy toothpaste escaped from his scrubbing and landed on his chin. He looked adorably like Santa Claus.

"Nothing..." I smiled. Suddenly, Zach showed up and hugged me tightly, having rinsed out his mouth.

**Zach's POV**

I loved her so much. She way she laughs, how funny she is, how she doesn't have to try hard to be pretty, how she rolls her eyes, how she doesn't care what she ate, how she cares so much for everybody, how she didn't let anything break her...

I snuck up on her and hugged her. Tight. She laughed and hugged me back, turning in my arms. I pulled back and looked into her gigantic eyes.

"Cammie..I..I think I love you." I whispered. I saw her eyes widen a bit and then she smiled so prettily that it could've knocked me out if I was caught off-guard.

"Zach! I...I love you too." She wrapped her arms around my neck and pulled me in – I backed her against a wall and we stood there, kissing for about 8 minutes. I know..I don't know the precise time...she's my weakness. No spy should have a weakness. But no way am I ever letting her go again.

"Time to go!" she squealed. I groaned. I didn't want to go to regular school. I mentally prepared myself on the boredom I was going to have to face there.

**Cammie's POV**

I don't know how he did it, but Zach managed to get the exact same schedule as mine. I was waiting outside, so I don't know if he..drugged the office lady, or...sweet-talked her..? Oh, well. It doesn't matter.

Zach and I were there really early, so we were sitting on a bench outside, talking. Everybody was staring – probably because Zach was so good-looking. I looked at him – with his short brown hair, bright green eyes, high cheekbones, pronounced jaw line, straight nose, strong arms, and tan skin. How could he be mine? He saw that I was staring at him and smirked at me. His arm was around waist, and his backpack was slung over his left shoulder. The bell rang – so we went to Math together. He helped me up and held my hand, and I didn't have to look up to see that people were already whispering and spreading rumors.

The one similarity that normal school had to spy school was that there was always, always gossip and rumors.

Then – I tripped. I probably would've fallen flat on my face if Zach hadn't caught me. I heard some giggled behind me. Wow...now people were tripping me. This was _such a great school._ I sighed and bit my lip. I missed Macey and Bex and Liz...

I expected us to just walk away, but Zach turned around and glared at three rich-looking girls in hot pink tube tops and ruffled skirts.

"And what the hell was that for?" He asked them calmly, cocking an eyebrow, looking like a gorgeous but angry god.

They stopped giggling and blushed, fiddling with their hair. They kept opening their mouths and closing it, not knowing what to say.

"Uh..Zach, let's just go." I didn't wait for him to answer – I just pulled him away.

"Cammie!" I looked behind my shoulder and saw Chandler running down the hallway, waving at me.

"Oh! Hi, Chandler."

"Who's this?" Zach looked at Chandler with a very blank look on his face.

"Uh..Zach, this is Chandler. Chandler, this is Zach."

"Her _boyfriend._" He pulled me closer to his body, practically crushing me.

"You have a _boyfriend?" _Chandler stared at me, disappointment clear on his face.

"Yea.."

"Oh," Chandler looked down at the floor, biting his lip.


	8. Fight, fight, fight!

**Cammie's POV**

Several days passed – it was almost like at Gallagher. Girls fawned over Zach, and he ignored them. They became envious of me and already over half of the girls in the school hated my guts. Chandler became distant, only waving at me, never talking.

BLEEP. BLEEP. BLEEP. BLEEP.

I groaned and rolled over. I hate Mondays. I flipped over to my stomach and got my pillow, pulling it over my head to block out the noises of my clock.

BLEEP. BLEEP. BLEEP.

"OKAY, I GET IT!" I yelled at the alarm clock, unplugging it. Zach groaned and rolled over, crushing me with his body. His strong, musky scent immediately envelopes me, and I breathe it in for a couple seconds, until his weight makes it impossible for me to take any more breaths.

I tried to push him off, but he was too heavy. Plus, he was clinging onto my waist now.

"Zach," I choked out.

He moaned again, still half-asleep.

"Zach. Dying!" I gasped.

His eyes immediately flew open and he rolled off of me, his green eyes concerned.

"Sorry," he smiled a sheepish grin.

I just stuck my tongue out at him and flicked his nose.

I got out of bed and we both started to get ready for school. I sighed. It was so terribly drab - the most exciting thing that ever happened was when Zach and I could sneak in a kiss every now and then. At least Zach was in all of my classes...and now that more girls are looking at Zach, more people are paying attention to me, too. Zach had made some guy friends - it was impossible for people not to love him - but he loyally stayed by my side every day. We always walk to school, loving the fresh, crisp morning air on our faces.

Plus, a car was expensive.

"Ready?" Zach opened the door.

"Yea." We walked out, hand in hand. After about 8 minutes, I felt something. I looked behind me and saw a man in a suit, talking on his phone. I shrugged it off and kept walking. Two minutes later, I look behind me and he's in a jogging suit, stretching.

"Zach.." I whisper.

"Yea..I know." Suddenly, we're shoved into a dark alley and about 10 men are surrounding us, guns in their hands.

"Hand her over, and you don't have to die." They growled at Zach.

"You wish!" Zach growled back at them, pushing me behind his back.

"Zach, I can defend myself. Spy, remember?" He never answered, because the men leaped at us. I roundhouse kicked one in the jaw and he went flying into a wall. Zach and I got into a back-to-back position, using each other to lean against so we didn't lose our balance during flips and roundhouse kicks. Napotine patch for him..I turned around and punched another man in the gut, swept my leg under his feet since I was still crouching, and he hit his head on the concrete, hard. It started bleeding. A bit. But I couldn't concentrate on that right now. Zach had taken down three men. I slapped Napotine patches on all of them, since Zach had run out.

I stood up and felt motion behind me. Zach, sensing him too, held out his hand for me, while punching another man with his other. I grasped his hand and used it to flip myself up, and while I was in the air I kicked a guy in the neck. He fell forward, and I landed on his back. Even though I was considered underweight, he still let out a loud groan and lost his breath. Napotine patch. Slap. I looked up and there was only one man left...pointing a gun at Zach's head.

"No!" I screamed.

"Get on the ground, and I won't shoot him. Lay on your stomach."

Damn. That position was the most defenseless one, since I would be laying on my arms, and my feet wouldn't be touching the floor. Only my toes. No way to easily get up, no way to easily dodge attacks.

I slowly went down, my hands raised up, showing him that I wouldn't try anything. My heart pounded and my eyes kept flickering to Zach. Other than a few bruises and scratches, he was still alright. For the time being.

I was right next to the man I had just landed on. I slowly started to lay down, and I saw something glint in the sun in his hands. A gun. I put my hand right next to his, and right before my jaw hit the floor, I jumped up and shot the gun right out of the man's hands. Zach immediately took action, and crashed the man's head into a wall, and the he slumped over.

"Cammie...are you alright?" Zach's eyes raked over my body, searching for any injuries, his hands on my elbows.

"I'm finde. What about you? You're the one that almost got shot!" My breathing was still shaky, the fear of Zach leaving me still behind my eyes.

"Hence the almost, Cam." We walked to school like nothing happened, brushing the dirt off of our clothes, and using the quick-heal ointment Dr. Steve had created. We were at my locker, and I was stuffing my backpack in there until Zach broke the comfortable silence.

"Cammie.." Zach trailed off, waiting for me to look at him. I did. He was leaning against the locker next to mine, his arms crossed. He was wearing a dark green shirt today, and it made his eyes look even greener. I couldn't help but stare a little.

"Mmm? What is it, Zach?"

"I..I think we should go back to Gallagher." His tone was cautious, gentle. But this immediately set me off.

"What! No! Why would you even say that?" My voice was louder than necessary and people started looking our way.

"Because," Zach hissed. "The Circle is still out for you, and this place isn't safe anymore. You were almost killed, Cam. _I _was almost killed." His voice cracked out of desperation when he mentioned our deaths.

"We can handle it, Zach. This is what we're trained to do. I am _not_ going back to Gallagher Academy. All of this would be for nothing, and we still haven't found out anything...whether my dad's alive or not...why they want me so badly..." I trailed off as some nosy kids shuffled closer 'innocently' as they tried to listen in to our conversation. Zach and I had our mad faces on, so maybe they thought we were breaking up, or something.

Zach let out a gusty sigh and ran his hands through his hair.

"Fine. But any more close calls, and I'm dragging you back home, whether I have to use rope and a potato sack or not."

My turn to sigh. "Whatever, Zach. Let's just go to class, okay? We'll talk about this later."

He smiled crookedly and took my hand. Everyone that had been crowding around (mostly girls) groaned and went their separate ways to class. Apparently we were still together.

I made a bitter face at them, holding Zach's hand a little tighter than necessary.


	9. Mine

**Zach's POV**

Let's just say today wasn't the happiest of my existence. First the Circle comes and nearly kills the only person I care for in life, then Gallagher Girl won't come back to Gallagher Academy – where she _belongs_, and I'm getting angry at all of the guys staring at Cammie as if she's some..._object. _Cammie and I were in math, first period. The teacher hadn't come in yet, and some guys were huddled in a corner, whispering. I was holding Cammie's hand and tracing circles on it with my thumb as she stared into the distance, her chin resting on her palm. Her hair tumbled in pretty curls over her left shoulder, and her bright blue eyes could be seen from across the room. I decided to listen in on the guys' conversation, since Cam was probably tired from the fight this morning.

"Hey. That new girl is hot."

"No shit, Sherlock! But look - she has a boyfriend."

"...I don't remember seeing him here yesterday! And how do you know that's her boyfriend? They could just be really good friends, or something!" a blonde kid hissed.

I rolled my eyes.

"You're stupid, Ty. That is most definitely her boyfriend."

"Well..we could take care of that."

Suddenly, one of the guys strode over and 'accidentally' knocked Cammie's binder off the edge of her desk. She looked up, pretending to jump. But, since she was a spy, she reacted seconds before normal people would, glancing down at the binder while it was in the air. She would've caught it if she were at Gallagher - I had felt her hand twitch in reaction. But her hand would've seemed to strike out too fast here, at a normal school. The guy's eyes widened in surprise shock and scooped up the binder.

"Oh, I'm so sorry!" He looked into Cammie's dark blue eyes and didn't look away, mesmerized.

"Oh!" Cammie let out a small giggle. "It's alright. I do stuff like that all the time." she smiled at the boy. His eyes widened even more – her voice sounded so pretty – and her giggle made everybody look over. She noticed and inched closer to me, hiding a side of her face with her long hair.

All the guy could do was slip into his seat – which was right across from Cammie and I – and stare at her, muttering something about the teacher coming in. Cammie noticed and blushed – I fumed. No one had a right to stare at _my_ Gallagher Girl! Cammie squeezed my hand and smiled at me, cocking her head to the side a little bit. I smirked back, and, just to show them, leaned over and pecked her on the lips. She turned an attractive shade of pink, and then the teacher walked in. But no one paid attention to her – everyone was staring at us, their eyes wide.

I sighed and rested my chin on the hand that wasn't holding Cammie's, not even bothering to pretend to take notes.

The rest of the day went on in boredom, and at lunch a bunch of people – girls and guys – intruded and sat down at our table, without being invited, might I add. I looked over at Cammie, but she didn't seem the least bit shocked. Dang. This girl had a good cover face. We ate our lunch, surrounded by noisy strangers. We talked quietly between ourselves, and whenever anyone tried to talk me, I would just turn around and glare at them. They would instantly back away. Gallagher Girl was a little nicer, and she smiled and talked back, a little.

Lunch is over now, and we're in choir. I still have no idea why Cam signed up to join this class. I smirked as she had to go up and sing a solo. She groaned and muttered, "_Another one?" _Bex, Lizzie and Macey never said anything about Cammie being a good singer, so I wondered if she was. Cammie said something about singing a Taylor Swift song, and I mockingly rolled my eyes at her. I saw her quickly glare at me.

How does she hate country music but like Taylor Swift? It just didn't make sense. Whatever. I settled into my seat and gave her my full attention. Everyone seemed expectant of something. They all clapped loudly when Gallagher Girl walked up onto stage, and there were a bunch of wolf whistles from the guys. The teacher quieted them down and the music started. I could tell Cammie was nervous, but she put on a confident face and started to sing.

_Oh, oh, oh_  
_Oh, oh, oh_

_You were in college, working part-time, waiting tables_  
_Left a small town and never looked back_  
_I was a flight risk, with a fear of fallin'_  
_Wondering why we bother with love, if it never lasts_

_I say, "Can you believe it?"_  
_As we're lyin' on the couch_  
_The moment, I can see it_  
_Yes, yes, I can see it now_

_Do you remember, we were sittin' there, by the water?_  
_You put your arm around me for the fist time_  
_You made a rebel of a careless man's careful daughter_  
_You are the best thing that's ever been mine_

_Flash forward, and we're takin' on the world together_  
_And there's a drawer of my things at your place_  
_You learn my secrets and figure out why I'm guarded_  
_You say we'll never make my parents' mistakes_

_But we got bills to pay_  
_We got nothin' figured out_  
_When it was hard to take_  
_Yes, yes_

_This is what I thought about:_

_Do you remember, we were sittin' there, by the water?_  
_You put your arm around me for the fist time_  
_You made a rebel of a careless man's careful daughter_  
_You are the best thing that's ever been mine_

_Do you remember all the city lights on the water?_  
_You saw me start to believe for the first time_  
_You made a rebel of a careless man's careful daughter_  
_You are the best thing that's ever been mine_

_Oh, oh, oh, oh_

_And I remember that fight, two-thirty AM_  
_You said everything was slipping right out of our hands_  
_I ran out, crying, and you followed me out into the street_

_Braced myself for the goodbye, cause that's all I've ever known_  
_Then, you took me by surprise_  
_You said, "I'll never leave you alone."_

_You said, "I remember how we felt, sitting by the water._  
_And every time I look at you, it's like the first time._  
_I fell in love with a careless man's careful daughter._  
_She is the best thing that's ever been mine."_

_You made a rebel of a careless man's careful daughter_  
_You are the best thing that's ever been mine_

_Do you believe it?_  
_We're gonna make it now_  
_And I can see it_  
_I can see it now..._

By the end of the song, my jaw totally dropped to...to hell! It slammed past the floor and dropped even further into the ground. Cammie..was amazing! Why did nobody bring up Cammie's singing skills before? Cammie adorably bowed and hopped down the steps, and speed-walked to her seat next to me, her face beet red from the applause.

"That was amazing!" the teacher smiled and gave a thumbs-up to Cammie. "Next up is...Zachary Goode!"

"What?" I widened my eyes.

"Would you like to choose a song, or would you like me to choose for you?" she asked in a sweet voice.

"...I don't care. Whatever." I mumbled, and shuffled to the front of the room.

"Good luck!" Cammie whispered and patted me on the back as I walked past. I shot her a death glare, and she giggled, sticking out her tongue.

"You'll sing Animal by Neon Trees! Do you know the lyrics?"

Actually, yes. It was my favorite song. I nodded and the music started. I smirked, once again, just to annoy Cammie, and all of the girls but her swooned. I laughed and started singing.

_Here we go again_  
_I kinda wanna be more than friends_  
_So take it easy on me_  
_I'm afraid you're never satisfied._

_Here we go again_  
_We're sick like animals_  
_We play pretend_  
_You're just a cannibal_

_And I'm afraid I wont get out_ alive  
No_ I won't sleep tonight_

_Oh, oh_  
_I want some more_  
_Oh, oh_  
_What are you waitin' for?_  
_Take a bite of my heart tonight_  
_Oh oh_  
_I want some more_  
_Oh oh_  
_What are you waitin' for?_  
_What are you waitin' for?_  
_Say goodbye to my heart tonight_

_Here we are again_  
_I feel the chemicals kickin' in_  
_It's gettin' heavier_  
_I wanna run and hide_  
_I wanna run and hide_

_I do it every time_  
_You're killin' me now_  
_And I won't be denied by you_  
_The animal inside of you_

_Oh, oh_  
_I want some more_  
_Oh, oh_  
_What are you waitin' for?_  
_Take a bite of my heart tonight._  
_Oh oh_  
_I want some more_  
_Oh oh_  
_What are you waitin' for?_  
_What are you waitin' for?_  
_Say goodbye to my heart tonight_

_Hush, hush_  
_The world is quiet_  
_Hush, hush_  
_We both can't fight it_  
_It's us that made this mess_  
_Why can't you understand?_  
_Whoa, I won't sleep tonight_

_I wont sleep tonight_

_Here we go again_  
_Here we go again_  
_Here we go again_

_Oh, oh_  
_I want some more_  
_Oh, oh_  
_What are you waitin' for?_  
_Take a bite of my heart tonight._  
_Oh oh_  
_I want some more_  
_Oh oh_  
_What are you waitin' for?_  
_What are you waitin' for?_  
_Say goodbye to my heart tonight._

_Oh, oh_  
_I want some more_  
_Oh, oh_  
_What are you waitin' for?_  
_Take a bite of my heart tonight._  
_Oh oh_  
_I want some more_  
_Oh oh_  
_What are you waitin' for?_  
_What are you waitin' for?_  
_Say goodbye to my heart tonight._

_Oh, oh_  
_I want some more_  
_Oh, oh_  
_What are you waitin' for?_  
_Take a bite of my heart tonight._  
_Oh oh_  
_I want some more_  
_Oh oh_  
_What are you waitin' for?_  
_What are you waitin' for?_  
_Say goodbye to my heart tonight._

Once I was done, Cammie was grinning from ear to ear, clapping furiously. I chuckled at her cuteness.

"Zach - you were pretty good!"

"Zachary -" the teacher said.

"Zach!" I called up at her, annoyed at my full name.

The teacher laughed. "Okay, okay, sorry, _Zach. _But you did wonderful! You and Cammie are excellent singers. Next up is Joe Ploskini..."

We got home, and Cammie immediately pulled off her shoes and took a nap. I got some food and did my homework – and even did Cammie's homework. Good thing in Blackthorne they taught us how to duplicate anybody's handwriting...but Cammie's was quite difficult. It was small, swirly, neat, and..._girly_.

I took me a lot longer than it should've, and I sighed at her sleeping form.

She better thank me for this later.

Right after I finished her homework, the door was kicked down.


	10. Guess who?

_Right after that, the door was kicked down.._

**Zach's POV**

I stood up so fast that the chair fell back against the floor. Shit! Cammie was sleeping, and the bed was a good 5 steps away from the door. I sprinted out, and I nearly fainted in relief to see that my mother hadn't come in with a gun to shoot Cammie's brains out.

Cammie was already up, sitting on the bed. She looked at me.

"Zach! You'll never guess who's here."

She was grinning from ear to ear. I couldn't help but notice that her hair was adorably messy from her nap, traces of sleep still lingering on her face. She hadn't quite put her walls back up yet - and right now, she looked incredibly innocent and vulnerable. Not at all the spy girl she actually was.

I looked around. I didn't see anyone.

"Who?" I asked, my eyebrows pushed together.

"Boo!" That scared my guts out, but I was a good enough spy to just casually turn around to see Bex, Macey and Liz sitting at the kitchen table where I had just been. I smiled. This was unexpected.

"Hey Bex, Macey, Liz. How are you guys? Why are you here?"

Bex answered for all of them.  
"We're fine. And we're here, because we've been tracking you guys down for weeks! Do you know how hard it was to find you? I mean, who knew you'd be hiding in...plain sight?"

Cammie and I chuckled.

"That was sort of the point." Then Cammie sighed.

"So you're gonna bring me back, huh? Or at least..." She smirked. "You're going to try."

Suddenly, Macey and Bex went in their spy modes, while Liz just sat there trying to look demanding.

"Oh," Macey growled, "We'll get you back. One way or another."

"I'd like to see you try." Cammie cocked an eyebrow.

"I'd like to see you try and stop us." Bex and Macey grinned at each other.

"No fair! Two against one!" Cammie cried. She looked at me for backup. I held my palms up in surrender.

"Hey. I'm on their side."

"What?" Cammie screeched. "Three against one? Lizzie bear?" She added in the most pitiful, adorable tone she could manage. She widened her dark blue eyes and looked at her small friend.

Liz just sat on the table, arms crossed, swinging her legs, smiling playfully. Cammie let out a small shriek, and then we tackled her. Or attempted to. Macey fell off the bed, Bex, luckily, landed on the bed, and I caught myself so I wouldn't land on either of them. How awkward would that be? But anyways.

Cammie had lept off the bed and backed herself into a corner. Oooh. Stupid move. She seemed to realize this, but we had already cornered her. Suddenly, her eyes watered, and a tear rolled down her cheek She leaned her face into my chest, and whispered, "Zach..."

My eyes widened immediately, and right when I reached my arms up to pull her into a hug, I felt her smirk against my chest and slip in-between my right leg and the wall.

"_Cheater_!" I yelled as she ran into the kitchen. I heard her laugh. Ugh, that just made me want to go in there and kiss her. But Bex and Macey shot me a look. We sprinted in there, but she was no where to be found...

"Cammie..." Bex and Macey put on their nicest voices, which probably would have lured bunnies out of their holes. But Cammie was strong. She was immune.

"Cam!" I tried. It didn't work. Not even a peep. We checked under the table, out the window, in the cabinets. Suddenly, Liz let out a scream. Apparently she started to help us look for her. And she found Cammie.

She was hiding underneath the sink, and sprinted out from Liz's legs and into the bathroom. I heard the lock click. I rolled my eyes. She knew we could all pick that lock with a bobby pin in under 5 seconds. Bex picked one from her hair and picked it. We piled in, but she wasn't there. I looked up.

The air vent. I sighed.

"Really, Cammie, you seriously have to come back to Gallagher Academy now! We don't want you getting hurt." Macey called up there.

"You can't make me! I'm serious, guys," Cammie sounded serious now.

Bex opened up the vent and right as I saw Cammie's foot flash away, Macey reached up and caught it. Cammie screeched as she was being dragged out of the vent. I caught her and pinned her on the floor.

She started trashing around, wriggling like a worm.

"Gallagher Girl," I grunted, trying to keep her arms behind her back. She was stronger than I expected. "Stop!"

"_You can't take me back_!" This time I saw real tears were in her eyes, and my heart melted.

"Cammie," Bex reasoned. "You can't stay out here. We know you were kidnapped. You're only safe in Gallagher."

"But I haven't even figured anything out yet!" I had let her up immediately as I saw her tears flowing down her cheeks. She was leaning on me – we were all sitting in the bathroom on the floor. "And the whole reason I ran away was to keep you guys safe, because I didn't want anyone getting hurt because of me, but now you're all here and I don't get why you guys keep putting yourselves in danger for me..."

"Cam," Liz said in a gentle voice. "We love you. We would do anything for you. You would do this for us, wouldn't you? And figure out what?

"Anything out about the COC." Cammie said, in a 'isn't it obvious?' sort of way.

"It doesn't matter. We're still taking you back." Macey said in a stern voice.

Her lower lip trembled, fat tears threatening to flow out onto her cheeks. She had just gotten through one crying session. She was making sad, whimpering noises.

Bex rolled her eyes. "Cammie. That's not going to work on us." She eyed me. "Or Zach."

But her tone wasn't so sure when she said my name. It was like a warning – but I looked at her again. Tears were flowing down her flushed cheeks, and she was clinging to my arm. She looked so sad it made _me_ want to cry.

How the hell were Macey, Liz and Bex 'immune' to this? They were just looking at Cammie, a bored expression in their eyes, waiting for her to stop crying. I sighed and picked her up and placed her on the bed. I gave her a quick kiss on the head and she pulled the covers up around her body, curled up into a ball, and bawled. I guess all of the stress from being captured and chased down for her whole life was getting to her.

I went back to Liz, Bex and Macey. And was surprised at what I saw.

They each had some tears running down there face. I was surprised at how strong they were. They wouldn't cry in front of Cammie. No wonder they looked bored. They were trying to contain the tears.

I stood there awkwardly, and then finally sat down.

"You guys okay?" I asked quietly.

"Today's March 27th. The day Cammie's dad died." Liz whispered.


	11. I'm Not Ticklish, Cam

_Today's the day Cammie's dad died..._

**Zach's POV**

I did a double take at Liz's soft words. Oh. _Oh._  
"Why didn't anyone ever tell me that?" I whispered to myself.

"It never came up." Macey replied, even though I wasn't expecting an answer. I went over to Cammie and lay down on the bed. I gently pried her fingers off the covers so that I could get in, too. Her back was facing me, her face pressed into the pillow. I turned her around and cradled her to my chest. I smoothed her hair as she sobbed, ruining my shirt, but I didn't care. After a while she stopped crying.

**Cammie's POV**

I stopped crying and stopped pressing my face to Zach's chest, pulling away to see that I ruined his shirt. Oh well. I'm too tired to care right now. I'll get him a new one. Suddenly, I felt his warm finger under my chin, and he lifted my water stained face up to meet his.

He kissed my lips gently at first, but slowly started kissing harder. I wrapped my arms around his neck and played with the brown hairs that curled against his neck. He shifted so he was laying on top of me, and he brought one hand to the small of my back and hugged me protectively against his body. We kept kissing, forgetting that my three best friends were still in the bathroom doing who knows what. After a while, we broke off for air, and he started sucking on my neck.

"I love you."

"I love you, too. More than anything." We fell asleep – both of us laying on our side, facing each other. My arms were curled up against his chest, and he was holding my body to his. His chin was resting on the top of my head. Right before I fell asleep, I heard Bex talking to someone on the phone.

When I woke up, Zach was still sleeping. I shifted – careful not to wake him. His emerald green eyes snapped open, and he forced me back down.

"Who said you could leave?"

"I did?" I gave him my innocent look.

"Well, I didn't." he smirked and kissed my cheek.

"Hey, Zach?"

"Mmm?"

"I'll pay you 25 dollars if you smile."

"Okay." He smirked.

"That's a smirk, Zachy."

"Don't call me Zachy."

"Smile!"

"I just did!"

I sighed.

"Fine...I guess I'll just..._tickle you_!" I starting tickling his tummy, but when I looked up, expectant, he had a blank expression on his face. Ooooh. His poker face.

"I'm not ticklish, Cam." I would've believed it, too, but his lip twitched slightly.

I giggled. "I saw your lip twitch!" I tickled some more. It didn't work. Suddenly, Grant showed up out of no where. I looked at him and looked back quickly, doing a double take.

"What the hell?"

"I know how to make Zach laugh!" he bellowed.

I laughed. "How?"

"He loves bad jokes!"

"Excellent! I know a bunch of lame jokes!" I clapped my hands together and laughed. I looked down at Zach and made my face very serious.

"Hey, Zach."

"Yea, Gallagher Girl?"

"You wanna hear a joke about pizza?"

"Sure."

"Nevermind. It's too cheesy." I collapsed in a fit of giggles. I opened my eyes and saw Zach's poker face back on.

"Ooh! His poker face. He's trying to hide something." Bex laughed. They were all around the bed now – Macey, Liz, Bex, Grant, and Jonas. Bex had her camera out to capture the moment when Zachary Goode smiles. Oh! I have another one.

"Hey, Zach. Why aren't pokemon allowed in the locker room?"

"Why?"

"'Cause they'll Pikachu!" Everyone in the room cracked up – except for you know who. Zach's lip twitched.

This went on for 30 minutes at least – eventually Zach and I had sat up in bed, and then Zach finally, FINALLY cracked. It wasn't a full-out laugh, but it was a mini-chuckle, and for the first time ever, I saw Zach with a smile on his face. I saw the camera flash and knew Bex had gotten a picture. I bounced over and we all crowded around the camera to see – except for Zach. He stayed on the bed.

It was a really good picture – his dark green eyes suddenly became lighter, and he was smiling extremely cutely, with actual teethage. I never noticed before because whenever he smirked his mouth was closed, but he has really straight, white teeth. And then I noticed that I was in the picture, too.

I was sitting next to Zach, his arm around my waist – which I never knew was there, and I was laughing with him.

"Cutest picture ever!" Bex and Macey started gushing over it. I walked over to Zach.

"It is a really cute picture." I smirked.

"Hey! That's my smirk!" he complained.

"Well I do it better!"

"Who says? I've been smirking all my life!"

"...Zach."

"Mmm?"

"We have school today."

"Shit."


	12. Abnormally Large Air Vents

"_Zach.."_

_"Mmm?"_

"_We have school today."_

"_Shit."_

**Cammie's POV**

"Well, it's too late to go now, because it's already 2 in the afternoon." Bex laughed.

Whoops.

"Oh! I forgot to tell you," Zach said.

"What? Forgot what?" Cammie looked at him.

"One of my friends from Blackthorne is coming here soon...is that okay?"

"Sure. What's his name?"

"Tristan."

"Kay. But why does he have to come here?"

Zach exchanged a look with Grant and Jonas.

"Extra protection." Jonas said.

There was a stunned, tense silence between us.

"You're planning to take me back, aren't you? But you know that six people against me wouldn't be enough, so you called another Blackthorne Boy, who's probably ten hundred feet tall and extremely muscled to back you up?" I glared at them. Judging by the guilty expressions on Liz and Jonas's face, I caught them. Zach's phone rang.

"Hello? ...Oh. What do you want. Oh. I'll be there. Bye."

"What was that 'bout?" Grant asked.

"I found out where the next Circle of Cavan meeting will be at," Zach smirked.

"Really? Where?" My heartbeat quickened. This was our chance to get some more clues about what the Circle wanted with me - and if my dad was dead or not.

"Apparently it's another dance. I never even knew my mother liked that type of stuff..." Zach kept on mumbling to himself, but I didn't listen. My eyes were on Macey and Bex. Their eyes lit up like Christmas trees the moment Zach said, 'dance'.

"If it's a dance...we'll need to wear dresses." Bex mused, a smirk plastered on her lips.

"And if we need to wear dresses...then we need to go shopping." Macey added.

"And if we need to go shopping...then Cammie's coming with us." Bex and Macey looked at each other, similar evil grins on their faces. Then they whipped around to me. Everyone else had left the room, probably in the kitchen eating.

They each lunged for one of my legs, dragging my out the door. I hung on to the bed post and screamed.

"Zach!"

He ran out of the kitchen, worried.

"God, Cammie. I thought you were in trouble!"

"I am in trouble! Don't just stand there, help me!" I screeched, still holding onto the bed post. Macey and Bex pulled harder.

"CAMMIE.."

"LET...GO!"

Zach chuckled and sat right next to my head, watching with an amused expression on his face.  
"You're...not going to..help?" I was panting, holding on for dear life.

He shook his head. I glared at him.

"Bastard," I muttered.

I continued screaming in a high-pitched voice, with Macey and Bex pulling so hard that my body was lifted off the ground. Then we heard someone clear his throat.

Our heads whipped around...and there was Tristan. Bex and Macey dropped my feet, surprised at the tall boy standing in the doorway, confused expression on his face.

"Tristan, I couldn't be happier to see you!" I ran over and hugged him. Then I went to hide. He looked totally startled. He had dark brown hair and hazel eyes. He was taller than Jonas but shorter than Zach and Grant. He was hot – perfect for Macey! I hid in the abnormally large vents. Seriously. If someone opened it, I would probably fall right out.

"Where'd she go?"

There was a chorus of I don't know's and beats me's.

Then I heard Zach's voice.

"She's in the vents." I groaned. How the heck did he know? Someone opened the vent. But, being the spy I am, I landed on my feet.

"Thanks a lot, Zach!" I hissed. "If we go to the mall, you're carrying the bags!"

Zach frowned at this.

"So we're going?" Macey asked, hope creeping into her words.

"No." I said coldly.

I crossed my arms and glared at everyone. They glared right back. Well, Bex and Macey did. Zach smirked, Liz giggled, and Grant and Jonas rolled their eyes and smiled.

"Guys," Lizzie said. "Try to be a little normal for the new member to our team."

Right. I looked to where he was standing. He had an amused smile on his face.

"Hey. Nice to meet you." He said.

A chorus of "Nice to meet you too's" rang out.

"Oh. Everyone needs to change." Of course it was Macey who said this.

I grumbled as a set of clothes was thrust into my arms.

"NO one come in! I'm changing in the kitchen," I hollered. I shut the door and changed. I had on black skinny jeans, high-heeled black gladiator sandals, a magenta V-neck tank top with three layers of ruffles right under the V at my neck, and a long black cardigan. I walked out and Zach hugged me. He had changed into a tight grey T-shirt and blue jeans. He kissed the top of my head. "You look pretty." he said.

I laughed. "So do you, Mr. Suck-up. You're still carrying the bags, though."

"So we're going?" Bex's voice rang out from the bathroom.

"No!" I groaned.

Macey grabbed me and curled my hair lightly, and added mascara, eyeliner, and black eyeshadow on my eyes. Then a light pink gloss and finally, I was done. I walked out, and saw Tristan sitting on the bed, all alone. He was fiddling with his hands a bit awkwardly.

"Hey." I sat next to him, smiling sweetly.

"Hey. I never did get all your names?"

"Oh my god! Sorry! We're a little hyper this morning...so. I'm Cammie." I pointed at myself.

Tristan smiled. "I know. Zach talks about you non-stop when you're not with him."

I laughed. "Really?"

"Yea. He really loves you, you know."

"I know." I smiled softly, looking into the kitchen where he was sitting.

Bex walked out. "That's Bex. That's Macey. That's Liz." He nodded and smiled.

"Thanks."

"No problem."

Suddenly, Zach walked in and grabbed a set of car keys.

I blinked. Where did those come from?

"Come on, Cam. Let's go."

"Where are we going?"

"Surprise."


	13. Dirty Little Secret

"_Where are we going?"_

"_Surprise."_

**Zach's POV**

"I hate surprises," Cammie whined from the back seat. She was squashed between Tristan and Macey. One of them had put a blindfold on her.

"Too bad," Macey sang.

"COCA-COLA WENT TO TOWN. DIET PEPSI KNOCKED HIM DOWN. DR PEPPER FIXED HIM UP, NOW WE'RE DRINKING 7 UP. 7 UP GOT THE FLU, NOW WE'RE DRINKING MOUNTAIN DEW. MOUNTAIN DEW FELL OFF THE MOUNTAIN, NOW WE'RE DRINKING FROM THE FOUNTAIN. FOUNTAIN BROKE, THAT'S NO JOKE, NOW WE'RE BACK TO DRINKING COKE. COCA-COLA WENT TO -"

"Shut. Up!" Liz and Bex threw dirty looks at Grant and stopped singing along with their hand-game.

"You look like a bunch of first graders," Jonas teased, mussing Liz's hair. She giggled.

"We're here!" I announced, relieved. "You can take off your blindfold, Cammie."

She took it off. First she looked sleepy, then alert, then pissed, then embarrassed, then pissed again, then she just sighed.

"I shoulda seen it coming. You're carrying all my bags, mister." She pointed a delicate finger at me. I shrugged. We walked inside, and Bex and Macey immediately took control. They grabbed Cam's hands and pulled her into a fancy store that sold fancy dresses for fancy people. Tristan, Jonas, Grant and I stood near the door awkwardly.

Cammie tried to go over to us, but Bex caught her and dragged her towards the racks of dresses.

Dirty Little Secret by the All-American Rejects was on. I heard Cammie quietly singing along to it and chuckled. They all got dresses, and, like she promised, I had to carry all of Cammie's bags.

We started walking towards different stores.

"Shit," Cammie mumbled.

"Eyes?" Bex whispered.

"Yes." Liz said.

"Far?"

"15 feet behind,"

"Target?

"Let's find out."

"Split?"

"15, American Eagle."

Suddenly, Cammie grabbed my hand and we steered into a store that smelled strongly of cologne. She got into cover, acting all lovey dovey, never letting go of my arm.

"What was that Gallagher Girl code?" I whispered.

"Tell ya later, sweetie." she whispered back. Suddenly, I saw him. A man with black hair in a black trench coat. I saw him a five minutes ago in sweat pants.

He saw us and strode purposely towards us. We casually walked out of the store, and some guys ran up to Cammie.

"Hey, you sing good?"

"Uhm, maybe?"

"The talent competition's in 5 minutes...our singer just broke her arm."

She looked at me. _Best cover we can get here.._ Her expression said.

"So will you do it?"

"Sure. But I get stage-fright, so I'm gonna go up in disguise, okay?"

"Sure, whatever. Thanks a bunch. Get backstage as soon as possible!"

Cammie walked briskly to a store and bought a long dark brown wavy wig, light faded green contacts, and re-applied mascara, gold eyeshadow, eyeliner, and blush. She looked gorgeous. I told her that.

She blushed and kissed me on the cheek. We ran backstage, momentarily forgetting about our tail and our friends.

"What song do I have to sing?"

"Get Over It by Avril Lavigne. Do you know it?"

"Yea."

They ran out and Cammie started singing after the bursts of applause. She strummed on her borrowed acoustic guitar.

_Slipping down a slide_  
_I did enjoy the ride_  
_Don't know what to decide_  
_You lied to me_  
_You looked me in the eye_  
_It took me by surprise_  
_Now are you gratified_  
_You cried to me_

_La, la, la, la, la_

_Don't turn around_  
_I'm sick and I'm tired of your face_  
_Don't make this worse_  
_You've already gone and got me mad_  
_It's too bad I'm not sad_  
_It's casting over_  
_It's just one of those things_  
_You'll have to get over it_

_When I was feeling down_  
_You'd start to hang around_  
_And then I found your hands all over me_  
_And that was out of bounds_  
_You filthy rotten hound_  
_It's badder than it sounds, believe me_  
_La, la, la, la, la_

_Hey, you gotta get over it_  
_Hey, you gotta get over it_

_It's too bad I'm not sad_  
_It's casting over_  
_It's just one of those things_  
_You'll have to get over it_

_Don't turn around_  
_I'm sick and I'm tired of your face_  
_Don't make this worse_  
_You've already gone and got me mad_  
_You'll have to get over it_

I was surprised again at what Cammie's voice was like. She smiled, blew air kisses, and suddenly I saw him. He was pulling something out of his coat...

Cammie suddenly ran off the stage, and we ran outside, crashing into the others. We ran farther away from the mall, not wanting to cause commotion. Suddenly, a black tinted van sped up the street, and we were greatly outnumbered.

It started immediately.

Cammie kicked the gun out of one guy's hand with a kick so high she could've easily kicked her own face. She punched him in the gut and he doubled over, while she grabbed the guy next to him and flipped him.

I turned around and punched another guy in the face, and pressed a pressure point in his neck. He fell. Napotine patch for him.

Bex swooped down into a crouch and stuck her leg out, sliding in a circle, taking three men to the ground. She violently slapped Napotine patches on them.

Grant kicked a guy in the face while punching another guy in the crotch.

I winced for the man.

Lizzie and Jonas went around and slapped Napotine patches on the ones that we were too busy to do. Suddenly, a familiar voice rang out.

"Stop!" We all froze anyway, since every man or woman in the black clothing were on the floor, unconscious.

"Zach," My mother stepped out of the shadows. "Hand over the girl."

"Why would I?" I stepped protectively in front of Cam.

"I have something that you would like to know, Cameron."

She stood on tip-toes and peeked over my shoulder, only her eyes showing, which were glinting with curiosity, stretched wide. But she didn't say anything.

"Once you know...you'll go with me willingly, whether my idiot son wants it or not."

"What is it..?"

"I have your mother, Cameron, dear."


	14. Tangled

**Cammie's POV**

"_I have your mother, Cameron, dear."_

"Please. Like I would believe that." Cammie rolled her eyes.

"Oh? Listen to this." She held out a silver cell phone. "Play the message."  
"How do I know you won't just grab me and stuff me in your car if I come near you?"  
"Fine." She tossed the phone to me, and I caught it.

"Cammie," Zach warned.  
I played the message. A voice that I would recognize anywhere rang out...the woman who raised me into the spy and girl I am today shrieked into my ear.  
"CAMMIE! Cameron, don't you dare come after me. I can figure this out, I will see you again. Just please. Don't...go with her."  
Well, obviously I was going to come after her. I didn't even have to think twice. Just not in the way Mrs. Goode planned. I tossed the phone back to her, and she caught it, smirking. Everyone else, being the spies they are, looked at me.  
"Cammie. She's lying. Do not go with her." Zach's bright emerald eyes looked at me with so much emotion that it scared me.  
"I'm not an idiot. Of course I'm not going to go with her." I retorted.

"Well, you don't have much of a choice, Cameron."

She pointed straight at me and said, "Get her."

And even more people poured out of the van. For a second it was funny, because I imagined how all of those people fit in there.

'Like a clown car,' I mused. Until I got punched in the jaw.

"Damn," I punched back and flipped the person over my shoulder, who crashed into a wall. The fight continued on, until I looked around and saw that only Grant, Zach and I were still up and fighting. Jonas and Liz had gotten knocked out, and Tristan, Bex and Macey were struggling furiously to loosen the grip their attackers had on their wrists. Suddenly, Grant fell to the floor. I whipped around and blindly did a roundhouse kick. The person caught my leg an inch from their face. I tried to pull free, but the person was probably as strong as Grant, if not stronger.

"Let...go!" I shouted, panting. Zach turned around, distracted by my panicked voice. He made his way over to me, but the person he was originally fighting caught up to him and slapped a Napotine patch on the back of his neck. He fell to the floor.

"Zach!" I tried to pulled my leg back, but it didn't work. He reached over as fast as lightning and grabbed both of my wrists in one of his meaty hands. He let go of my leg, and I stumbled, hair in my face.  
"Let her go!" Bex shrieked, out of breath. The man started dragging me to the car. Once we were almost there, I noticed his hold loosened. I quickly pulled my wrists back and punched the back of his head, hard. Before Mrs. Goode could get to me, I ran over and roundhouse kicked Tristan's attacker who was holding his wrist, narrowly missing Tristan's head. He knocked Macey's out while I got Bex's. We stood there panting, surrounded with everyone on the floor. We faced Mrs. Goode.

Except Mrs. Goode wasn't there. And neither was the van.

_"Crap! How the hell did we not notice that bitch driving away? Fanfuckingtastic." _

"Bex..." Liz, who just woke up, apparently did not like the language. Tristan called CIA helicopter, and they would come and collect the...bodies. Most of them weren't dead, though. I hope.

"How are we gonna get Grant, Zach and Jonas back to the apartment without causing attention?" Bex exclaimed.

"I guess we'll just have to wait for them to wake up." Tristan shrugged.  
"But that could take hours!" Macey complained.

"Guys! I have a special pill that will fight off the Napotine patch's chemicals. I have them with me right now." Liz said proudly. She went around and popped a pill in each of their mouths.

"Lizzie, you're a genius!" I squealed.

"Cam."

"Yea, Bex?" I looked at her.

"Don't you think it would be safer if you came back to Gallagher?"

"No way. I mean, if I did, everything that I've done over the time that I've run away will have been for nothing."

"Fine. But if you stay, we stay too." Macey put a hand on her hip and raised her perfect eyebrow, daring me to object.

I sighed. "Fine. It'll be a lot more easy, and fun, with you guys around." I smiled.  
"Cool, so we're going to school!" Grant said, getting off the floor with his normal goofy smile on his face.  
"Yippee..." Jonas said, still a little groggy. Grant marched over to Bex and examined her body, seeing if she had any major wounds. Zach came over and did the same to me, and then gently running his fingers through my hair afterwards, undoing the knots for me as I leaned into his chest. I think Jonas had Lizzie and Tristan had Macey. I saw Tristan's eyebrows mash together when he saw a giant cut on Macey's arm, and I smiled. I knew they would get together eventually. It would just take time.

"Cammie." Zach pulled away and looked me in the eye, his face an inch away. "Are you okay?"

"Yea, sure, Zach. I'm fine. Really." He eyed my leg, which had a giant gash down the side.

"Don't worry. It'll heal. Are _you_ okay?" I touched the side of his face with my finger, which was bleeding a lot.

"Don't worry. It'll heal." Zach imitated me, smirk in check. I rolled my eyes.

"Let's go back."

* * *

I got out of the shower I saw Bex sitting on the bed with Grant. She had her long, flowy hair wrapped around Grant's arm and was singing,

"Flower gleam and glow! Let your power shine! Make the clock reverse! Bring back what once was mine! Heal what has been hurt! Change the fate's design! Save what has been lost! Bring back what once was mine!"

By the end, everybody was laughing hysterically.

"Bex..." I wiped tears from my eyes. "You are a _terrible singer" _I giggled.

She stuck her tongue out at me.

"Just because you're a good singer doesn't mean everyone else is!" She harrumphed and crossed her arms, pretending to be mad.

"Come on Grant, let's go get something to eat." Bex hopped off the bed.

"I'll come with you!" Macey and Liz said at the same time. They smiled at each other and linked arms.

"Guess that means we'll come, too." Tristan and Jonas stood up.

"I'll wait for Zach." I said. Zach had gone into the bathroom to take a shower after Bex stopped singing.

"You sure?" Liz asked.

"Yea. I'm sure." They walked out.

A few minutes later, Zach came out of the bathroom in jeans and a grey T-shirt. I was on the bed, laying face down. He sat down next to me and rubbed my back.

"Hey. You okay?" He asked.

I sniffled and shook my head no.

"What if they really do have my mom, Zach?" I turned on my back to look at him.

**Zach's POV**

"What if they really do have my mom, Zach?" Cammie turned on her back to look at me. The sight of her crying almost ripped my heart in half. Her giant, watery eyes looked up at me, her cheeks wet. Cammie's chin started trembling and I sighed and smiled gently.

"Cammie." I held her chin. "Don't worry. I highly doubt she does. And if she really does have your mom, we'll get her back. I promise."

"I tried calling her, but she wouldn't pick up," her voice shook. "What if they're torturing her? I don't want my mother to be in pain. Or what if she's d -"

I cut her off by kissing her hard on the lips.

"Don't say that," I said when we were done.

"Sorry I've been such a crybaby lately," she groaned. "It's disgusting."

He shook his head. "If you didn't cry, you wouldn't be human, Cam."

"So when are you going to cry?" she stuck her tongue out at me.

I looked at her.

"The day I cry...you're not going to be there."

"Why not? I would comfort you, just like you comfort me," she said quietly.

"The day I cry is the day you leave me," I whispered.

**Tristan's POV**

We came into the room after eating and saw Zach and Cammie on the bed, asleep. Zach's body was curled around Cammie's, completely enveloping her, his arms wrapped protectively around her. Cammie's face was frowning, even though she was sleeping. She looked like she had been crying.

"Awh! They're adorable!" Bex, Macey and Liz jumped up and down, whisper-squealing.

"AH-HA-HA! Oh, my gawd!" Grant did a girly hand flip, imitating their high voices.

"Grant!" Bex hit the back of his head.

"Hey!" Grant protested, pouting.

"What?" Bex challenged, doing a 'come at me' sign with her hands.

"SHUT UP!" Zach whisper-shouted, his eyes twitching open. "Cammie's trying to sleep."

And as if reacting by hearing her name, Cammie shifted and hid her face in Zach's chest. Zach's arms tightened and he placed his chin on top of her head.

"Hey...where are we all gonna sleep?" Macey asked.

"The floor, McHenry." Grant rolled his eyes.

"What're you doing, Jonas?" Liz asked, walking over to him.

"Enrolling us into high school."

"Oh...that's smart."

"Yep. We're going tomorrow."

"Can't wait," I said sarcastically.


	15. Brooklyn

**Bex's POV**

We all laid down on the floor and fell asleep. I was curled up with Grant next to the bed when the alarm block started wailing like a bloody banshee.

"No, school..." Grant groaned, rolling over.

Macey was the first to wake up—she had to get everyone's outfit planned. I heard her muttering about how pretty we all had to look on our first day- and how Cammie needed to dress less plainly.

Jonas and Liz woke up and started making breakfast.

Tristan was helping Macey choose the guy's clothes. Zach sat up groggily rubbing his eyes and I stood up, walking to the bathroom while kicking Grant to wake up. I brushed my teeth and walked out.

Cammie was on the bed with the pillow over her head, still sleeping.

"Someone wake Cammie up! And turn that bloody contraption off." I screeched. Zach pressed the 'off' button. It kept beeping. He pressed it again, more forcefully this time. Nothing happened. He screamed in frustration and swiped it off the desk, unplugging it, causing it to clatter to the floor.

None of us were morning people, as you can see.

I smelled bacon from the kitchen so I went and got everyone a glass of orange juice.

"Bex!" Macey shrieked.

"Yea?"

"Cam won't wake up!"

I sighed. Like always.

"Cameron! Wake up or I will spill this glass of orange juice on your face!"

She didn't hear me since she fell back asleep. I sighed, walked over and shook her shoulder.

"Cam."

She grumbled.

"_Cam_. Wake up!"

She sighed and sat up, her hair a mess.

"I hate you guys," she grumbled, rubbing her eyes.

"Love you too," I patted her back.

Liz came out in a slightly oversized light pink shirt with a lace flowery pattern halfway in the back. She wore a gold heart locket around her neck and black skinny jeans. She wore black flats and a gold and pink ring. Her short blonde hair was slightly crimped.

Macey came out in a dark purple off-the-shoulder top, with a purple ribbon she used to tie off her messy side-braid with some wisps around her face curled. She had on dark grey skinny jeans and heels.

Cammie was in the bathroom brushing her teeth.

Macey handed me my outfit: A white T-shirt, a deep red and grey and blue plaid shirt with sleeves that go up to my elbows that I was to wear unbuttoned, light wash skinny jeans and white sandals. She straightened my long hair, making it fall to the small of my back.

Cammie came out in a short red tank top with feathers on it, the bottom hem touching the top of her black skinny jeans. She wore a reddish brown leather braided belt and brown ankle boots. She also had on feather earrings and her long light brown hair was curled.

We hurriedly ate our breakfast and walked out the door.

**Cammie's POV**

We stepped out of our cars, which we may or less might have stolen from this one rich family, in the parking lot now. Everybody started whispering and staring at us-probably wondering what happened to me. No matter how much they try, no one can make anyone look as pretty as Macey McHenry can make you. She enlarged our eyes with eyeliner and made our eyelashes longer with mascara. She made our lips plumped and our skin smoother. Plus we smelled good. That's what forcing lotion onto our arms and legs every night does to us.

They walked to the office and got their schedules. The day went by with girls drooling over Grant and guys checking Macey out. After lunch were were walking down the hall to our lockers, until we heard a loud bang.

We looked to our right and we saw that a guy just pushed his girlfriend into the lockers.

"Don't you _ever_ talk to me like that again. Understand?" He growled.

She whimpered and nodded, tears running down her cheeks.

He slapped her again for good measure, but right when he was about to walk away, I screamed, "Hey!"

He turned around and glared. "What the hell do you want? Just because you're the 'hot' new kids doesn't mean you run the school now."

I could feel us all internally sighing and rolling our eyes.

"You just beat your girlfriend. That's messed, dude." Grant narrowed his eyes at him.

"I can treat my girlfriend however the hell I wanna treat my girlfriend, because she's MINE." He looked at her as if she was a piece of meat. It was disturbing.

"No, actually, dipshit, she's not yours, because you don't own her." We all widened our eyes and looked at Liz. Our sweet little Lizzie, cussing, and lashing out at a stranger.

And, before we knew it, the boy ran up and punched me and Jonas, who were closest to him, in the gut, with both fists. The girl, who was cowering in a corner holding her head and crying, suddenly looked up and smirked, running over and pressing Bex's pressure point on her neck, causing her to fall to the floor. Jonas and I were doubled over on the floor, panting.

Luckily, lunch didn't end for another 15 minutes.

"You _tricked_ us!" We heard Liz shriek to the girl.

"Yes, sweetie, well that's what spies do." She slapped a Napotine patch on Liz's head.

Suddenly there were footsteps coming down the hall.

"Brooklyn." The boy snapped. "We need to get out of here."

"But-"

"_Now_, Brooklyn." They took off running. Zach, Macey and Tristan half-dragged half-carried us to the closet, not wanting to attract attention. By this time Jonas and I could walk, but were still clutching our stomachs.

"Are you okay?" Zach looked at me with worried eyes.

"I'll be fine in a moment." I whispered. I looked at my friends on the floor.

Suddenly, the door opened with a crash, the light causing us to whip our heads up and gasp in shock.


	16. ChameleonMeeting

_Suddenly, the door opened with a crash, the light causing us to whip our heads up and gasp in shock. _

**Cammie's POV**

And standing there, letting my eyes adjust to the sunlight, I saw Joe Solomon.

Oh. Did I mention he was my godfather?

"Joe!" I exclaimed. I ran up and hugged him.

"I am mad at you." He said, holding me tight.

"Good way of showing it too, Joey." I laughed. He let me go and looked at my friends.

"Now. What, exactly, do you think you are all doing?" He looked at us with his piercing grey eyes, eyebrow cocked.

"Taking down the Circle?" Liz and the others woke up, and we were looking up at him with our best innocent faces on. Our green, blue, hazel, and brown eyes were wide, heads cocked to the side a little, sweet smiles tugging at our lips.

"By yourselves?" he scoffed. He seemed to soften at our faces, though, and stepped inside the closet, closing the door behind him.

"Listen to me. You are spies in training. Hence the word: TRAINING. You all could've been killed!"

"We're better than you think we are, Mr. Solomon." Bex said.

"Oh, you guys are the best of my best. You all make an extraordinary team. And that's why -"

"And that's why you're going to take us back to Gallagher so we can become even better." I rolled my eyes, finishing his sentence for him, disappointment making my stomach churn.

"No. And that's why I'm going to...dear lord, I can't believe I'm saying this...I'm going to let you continue your mission."

"What?" Macey and I asked in disbelief, mouths open.

He nodded once.

"Thank you, Joe! This really does mean a lot to us. We...we can do this. We're strong," I said.

"You are strong. All of you. And that's why I trust you to protect and love each other - you guys are a family. Never forget that. But I am telling your mother where you are. Here." He took out eight cell phones.

"These are untrackable. Take them. Brace yourself, Cam. Your mom is going to explode when I tell her, and you'll be getting calls nonstop." He smirked.

I blinked, and he was gone. We pocketed our cell phones, then the bell rang for class.

The rest of the day was pretty uneventful.

We got home. Zach got another phone call from one of his so-called 'sources', and off we were.

We had never went to the dance because it was cancelled - apparently, one of the more important Circle agents couldn't be there, so it was postponed.

We got to an average-looking business building. We got in and Zach was told to tell the desk clerk "ChameleonMeeting." Yea. Original, isn't it? Note the sarcasm.

"18th floor, third door to the left." He told him. So we rode the elevator up to the 18th floor, and we ended up in a long hallway.

"Well, now what? We can't just barge in there without seeing how many people are in there. We could be really outnumbered." Grant stated. I looked up.

"Air duct." I stated. Zach boosted me up, and I reached down to pulled him up. Eventually all eight of us were up there, crammed inside a tiny, hot space.

"I can't breathe," Macey groaned.

"Me neither," I crawled to the nearest opening and greedily sucked in the cool air.

"There seems to be about 35 people in there," Jonas whispered, looking down.

"Weapons?" Tristan asked.

I saw one of them twitch and touch their leg, where a bump was showing through their jeans.

"Weapons." I confirmed.

"When?" Bex asked, ready for a fight.

"Soon. Let's hear what they're saying first. It is called the CHAMELEONmeeting." Liz said, eyeing me. Everyone nodded.

"I say that we get rid of her friends first. They are the only reason she is alive. She wouldn't stand a chance alone." One man said.

"But what if her friends are valuable? We can get the girl, and they'll be sure to follow!" A woman piped up.

"But what would her friends be even valuable for?" Another woman rolled her eyes. I was tired of this.

"This is useless. Let's go."


	17. Window Sills

"_This is useless. Let's go." _

**Cammie's POV**

Bex kicked the vent, and it clattered to the floor, causing everyone in the room to jump. Bex jumped down, Grant following, then me, then Zach, then Tristan, then Macey, and Jonas and Liz stayed up in the air vent plotting our way out.

The Circle members jumped up from their chairs, and pulled out their weapons. I instinctively reached back into my pockets to feet for my Napotine patches, but felt nothing. Crap. I shared a panicked glance with Zach. Now we have to knock them out by ourselves. Not an impossible feat, but still - more time-consuming.

Time that could cost us our lives.

A large man with curly red hair charged at me and kicked me in the stomach. I roundhouse kicked him and punched his face. He crouched down and swept my feet out from under me, and I fell to the ground on my back with a loud thud. I saw his face loom over mine, and he smiled evilly.

I looked around for my friends-everyone had at least two people on them. Bex and Grant were back to back, so were Macey and Tristan. Zach was cornered by five men. Uh oh.

I looked back at the man and saw he pulled out a knife. My eyes widened. I kicked it away from him frantically, but it ended up cutting my face. If this was training and the guy was on my side, I bet he would have laughed at my stupidity. But he didn't. He just growled and pulled out another one.

How many did this guy _have_? I then kicked his face, making sure to avoid the knife. He flew backwards and I grabbed his head and knocked it on the floor. He slumped, and I made sure he was just unconscious, not dead. I rushed over to Zach, quickly but silently. He already had a cut on his arm and a bruise forming on his cheek. I punched one of the guy's heads, and he slumped to the floor. I then jabbed another guy's pressure point_ really_ hard, and he went down. More people were catching on to what was happening, and they saw me. I was the one that they really wanted. They left Macey, Tristan, Grant and Bex and then all of them pressed Zach and I into a wall.

"We have you trapped now." One man with a gruff voice laughed.

Suddenly, something exploded out in the hallway. The Circle agents gasped, and for a split second they were distracted. I laughed. Yea. I know. I could have died in the next five minutes, but I laughed. Oh, I love Jonas and Liz. I bet they were smiling innocently up there in their little stuffy air vent. Macey and Tristan kicked open the window, and started to set up grappling hooks.

"No time!" Bex yelled, and she just jumped.

"BEX, THAT'S EIGHTEEN STORIES!" I screeched, sprinting to the window. I looked out, and she was hanging onto a window sill about three floors down.

"I've got this!" She called back. "Just follow me!" She let go of that window sill, fell for about four stories, and then caught onto another one.

"Jesus!" Grant exclaimed. He jumped out and started copying what Bex did. Macey and Tristan went next. I looked up at Liz and Jonas.

"Twenty!" I yelled up to them.

"Got it." They shouted back. 'Twenty' was spy code for wait twenty minutes, and then escape. We used it for the agents who had not been seen yet and could escape without a fight.

By now, the COC members had realized we were escaping.

"GET HER. GET HER!" A woman shouted. Zach practically pushed me out the window, and I grabbed hold of a window sill.

Bex and Grant were on the floor now, getting ready to catch one of us if we fell. I could see Zach dangling on top of me. Suddenly, a huge burst of wind practically made me let go.

I heard Macey and Tristan land. I let go, and then caught onto another sill. This _hurt._

__My wrists were complaining, and my head was killing me. But I had to keep going.

"Hurry!" Macey shrieked. The COC members started copying what we did.

"Just let go, we'll catch you!" Grant came up below me and held out his arms. I took a deep breath, and just let go, closing my eyes. Grant caught me with ease.

He grinned. "There. That wasn't so bad, now was it?"

"That," I stated, "Was the scariest moment of my life." He laughed and shook his head. Grant caught Zach, too. Or more like broke his fall. Grant pushed Zach off of him and groaned.

"Sorry, man." Zach smirked.

"No time for smirking! We have to go." Tristan exclaimed.

Suddenly, we heard Liz shriek.


	18. Pathetic Babies

_Suddenly, we heard Liz shriek. _

**Cammie's POV**

"Shit!" Bex exclaimed. We looked at each other for a moment, and then nodded. We never leave an agent in danger behind, especially if those agents were our innocent, nerdy best friends. We started climbing the window sills now, which, trust me, is a lot more difficult than falling from them. We got there in about one and a half minutes, and trust me: for a spy, that is an _extremely_ long time. I burst through the open window just to see Jonas punching a beefy man off of Liz.

Liz had a bleeding cut on her stomach, and her shirt was ripped a little. Macey fumed. It's sad, because I think she was more concerned about the shirt than Liz's stomach. I almost started laughing at Macey's...Macey-ness. Jonas roundhouse kicked another guy, and I was a little impressed. I've seen Jonas hack CIA codes and security systems, but seeing him in action? It was strange. He was good, but not good enough.

We started fighting, _again_, and let me tell you this: escaping from the people who want you dead lifts a giant weight off of your chest. But going back to them willingly? The weight crashes down on your heart like a ton of bricks.

Our hearts were pounding again, protecting ourselves, back to back with our boyfriends/girlfriends. We were mainly focusing on our protection, and our lovers', but somewhere in the back of our minds, we knew that one of our best friends could suddenly scream and die. It was the consequence of being a spy, and sometimes I'm sure it's not worth it. But our friends were strong-we would pull through.

Positive thinking was the only way for me not to burst into tears right on the spot. The thought of any of them dying crushed me - if anything happened to any of them, even Tristan, who I've only known for a little while, would break my soul.

I blinked a little, and noticed that no one had attacked me in a while. I was just standing in a fighting position, but the weird thing was?

No one was even in the room.

I got up from the crouch I was in, and relaxed my arms at my side, wary.

"Zach?" Silence. "Bex? Mace? Lizzie? Grant?"

Still, no one answered. What is going on? Did they just leave me in the room while they go fight in the hall or something? I snorted, and opened the door. Nope..they weren't out there.

"Guys, seriously! This isn't funny! Tris? Jonas? Zach! I'm scared." I said the last part in a whisper. I slowly spun in a circle, keeping my ears alert for any sign of danger. I heard nothing.

That's why I knew something was wrong. There were no cars on the road, no birds chirping, no helicopter flying past in the sky. I looked to the direction of where the window was, but there was no window there. I gasped and whirled towards the door, and that wasn't there either. I was just in an empty, blank room.

My thoughts? That I probably died and went to hell. My hell was to be in a room, alone, unable to do anything, without any of my best friends. I slid down on the wall and started crying, hugging my knees. I half-expected Zach to come running into the room like always, and he would scoop me up in his arms and say he was sorry, that they didn't mean to scare me so bad. But it never happened.

I sat there for what seemed like forever, and after a while I just accepted my fate. I was in hell, and I was going to stay there. Forever.

**Zach's POV**

I was fighting back to back with Cam, and all of our breathing was labored. Just because we're spies doesn't mean we can fight, and then drop painfully down hanging off of window sills, and then climbing those window sills, and then fight again! I would rather be doing the night drills back at Blackthorne. I felt Cam's shoulders relax a little, and I realized a little too late that she was getting side-tracked. I was about to shout her name until I heard her gasp and fall to the floor. She had a syringe stuck in her arm.

"What did you _do_ to her?" I growled. A fat, tall man with a tattoo that said "Evil" on his arm smirked. I rolled my eyes at his tattoo.

"She's probably hallucinating right now. Something about all of her friends leaving her, and then slowly, the walls are going to start closing in. Her mind will start to think she's in hell, and she's dead, and her brain will trigger her heart, and eventually, she really will die." He started laughing. Sick bastard.

I didn't say anything. I roundhouse kicked him in the jaw, and I heard a crack. The sickening noise gave me pleasure. Nobody hurts my Cammie. Even mentally. Nobody.

I then got on my knees and punched his nose, and it started spurting blood. He pulled out a knife and slashed my arm. I barely felt it. He got up, but I kicked his feet from under him, and he fell on his broken nose. I looked back, and every Circle member in the room was either unconscious, dead, or so injured that they couldn't move. Everyone was gathered around Cammie, and Liz had grabbed the syringe and put it in a little baggie, some of the fluid still left in it.

"I can test it, and maybe make a cure. I hope I'm fast enough." She said in a small voice, crying a little.

"I'll help. Let's go back to the apartment. We'll get to work right away." Jonas volunteered.

I picked her up and heard her whimper. I wonder what was happening in her hallucinations. We had to walk back to the apartment-we had no car, and no way were we gonna take an unconscious, whimpering Cammie inside of a taxi. They would think we were kidnapping her and we drugged her, or something.

We got in through the back of the apartment - we had to run across rooftops and then climb down - and we ran up the stairs. We practically threw ourselves into her apartment, and I placed her gently on the bed, where she was crying and writhing.

"What's _happening_ to her?" Macey wailed. I did a double-take. Macey was crying. Hard. I looked around the room. Tristan was letting Macey grip his hand, and I think it was turning purple. He was looking at Cammie with sad eyes. Grant was biting his lip, hiding his face. Cammie was always like a little sister to him. Bex was sobbing, and her and Grant were trying to hide their tears from each other, even though they both knew the other was crying. Liz and Jonas were sniffling, focused on their work. I wasn't crying though.

I think I was just still in shock. My face was set into stone, emotionless. I didn't feel anything-I just felt numb. I sat down on the bed with her and held her hand, just staring blankly at her face.

And the day slowly slipped away, ending with this tragedy.

Liz and Jonas were good, but were they good enough? Were they good enough to beat Circle poison? I don't think so, and no one else in the room does, either. Not even them. Their hands were shaking and they couldn't think straight with Cam screaming every five minutes from the bed. It slowly started to slip in to my mind: That the one and only thing I truly, _ever_ cared for in life was going to die in a few hours. And who do I have to blame for that?

My mother.

It sunk in, and a warm tear slowly slipped down my cheek, and it dripped off of my chin and landed on my arm. I slapped it away. The last time I've cried was when my father died, and that was when I was seven.

_See, Cam? _I smiled bitterly. _The only time I cry is when you're not around to see it._

Cammie has me wrapped around her little finger. I was probably crying as much as Macey was now, so I turned my head towards the window so no one could see.

* * *

"You know what?" I suddenly said, letting go of Cammie's hand and standing up, wiping tears off of my damp cheeks.

The rest of the room, still moping around, mumbled a faint, "What.."

"What the hell are we doing, sitting here crying like a bunch of pathetic babies? Our _best friend_ is probably going to die in a few hours, and we're sitting here _crying?_ We should go do something useful, like help Jonas and Liz, and get food." I shouted.

There was a stunned silence as they took in my words.

Everybody shot up, getting on their feet.

"Who says you aren't smart, Zach?" Macey said, getting up and wiping her eyes.

"No one." I smirked.


	19. Unpleasant

_"What the hell are we doing, sitting here crying like a bunch of pathetic babies? Our best friend is probably going to die in a few hours, and we're sitting here crying? We should go do something useful, like help Jonas and Liz, and get food." I shouted._

_"Who says you aren't smart, Zach?" Macey said, getting up and wiping her eyes._

_"No one." I smirked._

**Zach's POV**

Bex and Grant went out to get some burgers, and Macey, Tristan and I went over to see how Liz and Jonas were doing. Liz's hands were trembling and she had to wipe tears off of her cheeks every few seconds.

"Here, Lizzie. I'll help." Macey said gently, taking Liz's materials from her. Macey put on gloves and looked at the poison under a microscope.

"I don't recognize it. It must be a new formula, or something." Jonas sighed.

I grimaced. "Let me see. Maybe I'll recognize it." I offered.

I didn't.

I glanced over at the pages and pages of notes Liz and Jonas had scrawled out in messy handwriting, but none of it fit together. The antidote had to be the opposite of the poison, but not strong enough to kill Cammie, but strong enough to kill the poison inside of her...

"Well, maybe we don't have to make an antidote. Wouldn't it be easier, and quicker, to figure out a way to somehow get the poison _out_ of her body?" Tristan suggested.

"Well, it's already in her blood stream. How are we going to remove it without removing all of her blood as well?" Liz said. I could practically see the gears turning in her brain.

Bex and Grant came back with the food, and we each took a burger. We brainstormed while we ate, and it was extremely hard not to give up every time another hour passed, and we came up with nothing. Cammie kept whimpering from the bed, and it broke my heart.

**Liz's POV**

Poison. Cam was poisoned. Tristan was right: it was going to be impossible to come up with an antidote in time. It could take months-maybe even years. I knew Cammie didn't have that much life left in her.

Her hands were clammy and her skin was extremely pale. Her thrashing stopped-probably meaning that she didn't have any strength left to thrash around in fear anymore.

Something to remove the poison out of her blood without her blood being removed with it...

I racked my brain for anything that would help. I knew Jonas was thinking as hard as I was. Two hours ticked by and Cammie's breathing stopped once in a while. Zach had to give her CPR, and every time her breathing started again we all breathed out a sigh in relief. After the fourth time Zach had to do this, he was getting tired of it.

"Damn it!" He punched a wall, and he kind of made a hole. I jumped, staring at him with my wide blue eyes.

"Zach. Calm down." Grant said. But his eyes were glazed over, and his voice was monotone.

"How do you expect me to _calm down? _You want me to _calm the fuck down_? If Bex was there lying on that bed, you would be as angry as I am right now!" Zach shouted. His fists were clenched and his face was red.

If Cam were here she would calm him down. She was the only one who could get him to calm down whenever he was in one of his 'fits', as we like to call it.

Back at Gallagher Academy, Zach was so angry he could probably knock a tree down. It was town day, and some guy had pushed Cammie down to the floor and called her a 'slut' and many other bad things. Zach then beat the poor guy to a pulp, and he was literally shaking with fury. Cammie had to lead him to a bench and hold his hand, making him take deep breaths.

It was actually quite funny.

But he let her in, and she calmed him down. And from that day on, the only person who approached Zach when he was angry was Cam, because she was the only person he would never, ever hurt.

Suddenly, Jonas jumped up.

"I've got it!" he exclaimed.

"What?" Bex asked. Her eyes were lit up like a little kid on Christmas morning.**  
**

"I have this medicine, where if you take it, it makes you barf up everything bad in your bloodstream! She might barf up a little blood, too, but not enough to harm her! It's stronger than normal medicine, so it would be harmful to take it unless you were about to die." He said, rambling, looking through his bag and pulling out bottles, then deciding it wasn't the right one and tossing it over his shoulder.

"Pleasant." Macey said sarcastically.

Jonas finally found it.

"Erm, we might wanna take her to the bathroom.." Grant suggested.

"Good point. Let's go." I stood up. Zach scooped Cammie up and she sobbed a little.

Everybody exchanged worried glances, and we hurried.

We swiftly made our way to the bathroom, and Jonas tipped the sticky, yellow medicine down her throat. Two minutes and eighteen seconds passed, and Cammie's eyes shot open and she coughed deeply.

"Cammie." We heard Zach breath a large sigh of happiness and relief.

A happiness so strong that I almost laughed out loud overcame me.

"I think I'm gonna-" Cammie gagged. Her voice was thick and rough, scratchy.

"Toilet!" Bex exclaimed, lifting up the toilet seat and helping Cammie sit up. She kept her head about the toilet, and she was gagging and breathing really deeply.

"It's okay, love. Go ahead and throw up, it'll make you better." Zach murmured. Macey quickly tied Cammie's hair up in a bun.

Always thinking ahead, that one. I rolled my eyes but smiled at Macey's Macey-ness.

Let's just say that the next 15 minutes weren't exactly pleasant.

But I won't go into details.

"Okay." Cammie was panting really hard, and there was some blood dribbling down her chin. "I think I'm-" she barfed again.

"Guess not," Bex muttered.

"Just kidding. _Now_ I'm good." Cammie said. She shakily tried to stand up, and Zach kept his hand underneath her elbow so she wouldn't fall over.

I quickly shut the toilet lid and flushed. Tristan sprayed cucumber-melon air freshener everywhere. Cammie was brushing her teeth, and after she used mouthwash, and then she washed her face.

"So," Cammie said. She was back on the bed now, and Jonas was making her soup. "I'm extremely confused. Was...what _happened_ to me?"

Zach was sitting next to her, holding her hand, the haunted, hollow look gone from his eyes now. He wouldn't let go of her, and a slight smile was tugging at his lips. Bex and Macey and I were sitting across from then, and Tristan and Grant were standing on either side of the bed.

I heard the microwave beep and Jonas came back with the soup.

"Mmmm. Canned chicken noodle soup. My favorite." Cammie smiled. She ate lightly, not wanting to barf again.

"Let's start with the poison," I said.


	20. When You're Happy Like a Fool

_"Let's start with the poison," I said._

**Cammie's POV**

They told me everything, from the poison, to the frantic rush to find a cure, to Jonas's medicine.

I finished my soup and sighed, leaning back. I felt a lot better now, now that all of the poison is out of my body and some food is in my stomach.

"We're gonna go get some more food. Saving your best friend's life is extremely tiring." Bex joked, grabbing her jacket.

"Okay. I'll stay here with Cammie." Zach said, still by my side on the bed.

"Use protection!" Macey called back, then the door slammed shut. I rolled my eyes.

We were silent for a few minutes.

"Are you really better now?" Zach said quietly.

"I feel tons better." I smiled.

"I was so worried." He shifted over and I put my head on his shoulder, and his arm wrapped around me protectively. "I was so worried that you wouldn't-" His voice caught a little. I lifted my head, eyebrows pinched together. "You stopped breathing a couple times, you know. I had to give you CPR. Every time I thought that you wouldn't..."

"Listen, Zach...I'll always come back. Because I have a reason to. I have amazing friends who I would do anything for, and I have an amazing boyfriend who I would do anything and more for." I said. He smirked.

"So I'm amazing, huh?" He said, lightening the mood. I laughed and slapped his chest.

"You totally ruined the moment." I said. We were quiet for a long time.

"You haven't sang in a while." Zach mused.

"You're right. I haven't. I wrote a new song, though." I smiled.

"Really? Sing to me?" He asked.

"Yea. Go get my guitar-it's in the closet."

He got up, and the bed shifted from the loss of weight. He came back with my light brown acoustic guitar, and I cleared my throat nervously. I strummed the strings a few times, trying to remember where my fingers go.

I played the intro softly on my guitar, looking at Zach the whole time. He was listening intently. I took a deep breath and started singing:

_I remember tears streaming down your face_  
_When I said, I'll never let you go_  
_When all those shadows almost killed your light_  
_I remember you said, Don't leave me here alone_  
_But all that's dead and gone and passed tonight_

_Just close your eyes_  
_The sun is going down_  
_You'll be alright_  
_No one can hurt you now_  
_Come morning light_  
_You and I'll be safe and sound_

_Don't you dare look out your window darling_  
_Everything's on fire_  
_The war outside our door keeps raging on_  
_Hold onto this lullaby_  
_Even when the music's gone_  
_Gone_

_Just close your eyes_  
_The sun is going down_  
_You'll be alright_  
_No one can hurt you now_  
_Come morning light_  
_You and I'll be safe and sound_

_Ooooh...ooooh_

By this time, Zach caught on to the lyrics and tune easily. So the last part we sang together:

'Just close your eyes.' I closed my eyes.

'You'll be alright.' A tear slipped down my cheek.

'Come morning light.' Zach wiped it away with his thumb.

'You and I will be safe and sound...'

Oooh...oooh...

Zach smiled softly.

"We'll finish this mission, Cam. You and I will come out safe and sound. I promise." He whispered.

I nodded and smiled into his hand, which was cupping my cheek.

"Play more?" Zach motioned to the guitar. I nodded and sang my other songs, like Our July in the Rain and I Wouldn't Mind.

Somewhere in between those songs, everybody came back and they all sat around the bed and listened to me sing.

We started getting more hyper, singing popular songs on the radio together.

"OOOH, THIS HAS GOTTA BE THE GOOD LIFE, THIS HAS GOTTA BE THE GOOD LIFE, THIS COULD REALLY BE A GOOD LIFE, GOOD LIFE!" We all shouted. I strummed down hard on my guitar while doing some hair flips.

We were all dancing around the room, laughing. I was on my knees on the bed, playing my guitar. Bex and Macey grabbed hairbrushes as microphones and were singing at the top of their lungs. Grant grabbed chopsticks and was drumming on the tables. Jonas had a video camera out and was sitting back and watching, laughing, and singing. Zach was sitting next to Grant, drumming with his hands and Liz was dancing around the room like a little faerie. Tristan was air-guitaring and doing adorable little head bangs and singing.

"WHEN YOU'RE HAPPY LIKE A FOOL..LET IT TAKE YOU OVER!" We all added emphasis to this line, for we were so happy that we were dancing around the room like maniacs.

We ended the song and smiled up at each other, our faces sweaty, our hair sticking to our forehead, breathing deeply.

I laughed loudly, and it echoed through the room.

One of the people in the apartments next to us stormed into the room and stared at us.

"ARE YOU KIDS _DRUNK_?" she screeched. "SHUT UP!" She was in her bathrobe, her hair in over-night curlers.

We stared at her with a shocked expression for a second, but then cracked up even more. She huffed and turned on her heel, slamming the door shut.

"I love you guys." I smiled.

"AWHH! WE LOVE YOU TOO, CAMMIE BOOGER!" Grant said, smothering me in a hug.

"Cammie booger..?" I glared.

"Yep." He grinned.

"Guess what, guys?" Jonas said.

"What?"

"Well..while you guys were singing very...passionately, I was video-taping. I'll make a video collage."

So after about two hours of us just talking and Jonas typing furiously at his laptop, he finished.

"Whee, let's watch!" Bex shouted, plopping down next to Liz on the sofa. We all piled around the sofa and have a look at the screen.

It started out with me singing Safe and Sound, and yes. I sang it again for them. They got all teary-eyed at the end of it. Then it got to us singing wildly and zoomed in on Macey and Bex hair-tossing wildly at the same time. Then it zoomed in on my fingers dancing across the guitar strings wildly, and then me singing and laughing. It went to Liz dancing around the room like the adorable pixie she is to Grant shouting and smacking the chopsticks against the table so hard it cracked in half.

The look on his face was of pure shock, and then he shrugged and got a new chopstick out. Then Tristan air-guitaring and laughing so hard he couldn't breathe. Zach was banging his hands on his lap and table and screaming out the lyrics, not even trying to stay in tune.

At the end of the video, Jonas turned the camera towards himself and shook his head.

"I don't know why I'm friends with them." He said. And then the video shut off. We laughed so hard.

"You know you love us!" Tristan teased.

It was the most carefree beautiful moment of our young spy lives, and I'm glad Jonas captured it on camera.

"I love it!" Macey smiled, her nail filer away for once.

"Me too!" I laughed. Everyone else agreed, and Jonas blushed humbly. Suddenly, someone knocked on the door. I went to answer it, expecting it to be a security guard coming to tell us to quiet down. But there was nothing, no one.

I looked down and saw a note. My hyper, excited mood instantly vanished, and my heart practically drooped.

_Fun's over. Might want to add a little 'goodbye' to your loved ones in that video, because it'll be the last time anyone sees your faces again._

_We're coming for you. And we have a plan._


	21. Promise

_I looked down and saw a note. My hyper, excited mood instantly vanished, and my heart practically drooped._

_Fun's over. Might want to add a little 'goodbye' to your loved ones in that video, because it'll be the last time anyone sees your faces again._

_We're coming for you. And we have a plan._

**Cammie's POV**

I stared at the note, and I immediately stepped out into the hall to see if I could catch who left it there. But it was like it dropped from the sky-I saw nobody. Not even a dang foot print. I groan and lean against the door frame, staring at the note. Maybe Liz could find a finger print, or something.

"Cam?" Zach came up behind me and put his arms around my waist, standing behind me and placing his head on my shoulder. I could feel him breathing as he read the note I held in my shaking hands. I could feel his grip get hard and tense as he finished reading it.

"They won't get you. I swear to you-I won't let them _touch_ you." Zach growled. Cammie smiled softly and pecked his cheek.

"I know you won't. It's not me I'm worried about." I frowned.

He stepped back and turned my body to face him. Everyone else had crowded around us now, and Tristan took the note out of my hands and passed it around to everybody.

"What do you mean 'it's not you you're worried about'?" Zach exclaimed. "This is all _you! _The whole reason we're here-the reason we're trying to take down the Circle, is because of you. They want you, and we're trying to stop them for your safety. _You _are the most important here, Cam. You're the one that they want. Who in the hell are you worried about other than yourself?"

Cam stared at him, wide-eyed. And then she looked at each other her friend's faces. Because as Zach ranted on about her best friends trying to protect her, reality caught up to her. They weren't silly, normal teenagers who had slumber parties and got drunk at a kegger. They were _spies, _they were assassins. Their lives were in danger every minute they were on the mission.

But the reason they were on this mission? Was because of her. She was the reason their lives were in danger-everybody. Mr. Solomon, her mom, Zach, Bex, Liz, everybody. Wasn't it the reason she ran away? So she could bring down the Circle by herself? Without _anybody_ getting in the way and getting hurt? She had been so selfish, letting her friends stay and protect her. If she was the one they wanted, she was the one they would have to get. She hated the thought of her friends getting hurt- or possibly even _dying _for her.

She swallowed thickly and blinked a few times, coming back to reality. All of her friends were staring at her with worry, and she shook her head a little.

"That's the problem." She whispered, knowing they could hear her. "That's the problem with _this._" She waved her arms wildly around her, motioning to the apartment, her friends, the mission. "You guys are all in danger because of me. They only want me, so _I'm_ the only one who should be here."

Everyone blinked.

"Cammie..I didn't mean it that way." Zach said quietly.

"I know you didn't, Zach." I said.

"Cam. We don't-do you know how worried and sick we would be if we didn't know where you were? You could be rotting in a cell right now, dying. It's better that we're here with you." Bex reasoned.

I closed my eyes. I didn't want to think about this anymore. Was she right? Was it better that they were here with me? Without them, I _would_ be dead by now. But I looked at all of them, and I noticed bruises and scratches on their faces. I noticed Grant had a bloody bandage around his arm-in fact, all of them had a bloody bandage somewhere on their body.

Those were because they were trying to protect me.

"We love you, Cam. We're not going to let you go on a nearly impossible mission by yourself." Grant shrugged.

I smiled. That killed some of the guilt I was feeling inside. It didn't disappear completely, and I'm sure that it never will. But it was too late now.

And why dwell on the past? It was the present now, and I'm going to make _sure_ that none of them get hurt because of me.

"I guess." I stated, signaling an end to the topic.

"Let's go to sleep." Macey suggested, rubbing her eyes wearily. "All that dancing around made me extremely tired."

"I second that motion." Jonas said, rubbing the back of his head and messing up his hair adorably. He walked over to his duffel bag and pulled out pajama pants for all of the guys. He tossed it to them, and Bex, Macey, Liz and I went to the bathroom to change.

I think Macey was still going soft on me, because she let me wear my own pajamas instead of forcing me into a short, see-through night gown. I put on shorts and an oversized T-shirt that went right above my thigh. I brushed my teeth and collapsed into bed. Liz and Jonas were already snuggled up on the floor with a bunch of pillows and blankets around them-same with Macey and Tristan. Bex and Grant were sleeping on the couch, and Zach would join me on the bed.

Normally we would argue over who got the bed or not, but considering I almost died tonight, they were going easy on me. Zach was the last to leave the bathroom, having called out "Nose goes!" and tapping their nose last. He flipped the lights off and tried not to step on anybody as he trudged over to the bed. I scooted over and he lifted the covers to get underneath, and a blast of cold air hit my legs. I shivered and pulled them up to my chest.

Parts of my body were still aching from the multiple blows they took. He got under the covers and I turned to face him. It still amazed me how through the pitch black, I could still see the gorgeous color of his eyes. I placed my arms around his neck and pulled him into a hug.

He blinked, surprised, but willingly hugged me back.

"Don't ever get hurt for me. Promise." I whispered, hearing that everybody else in the room were sound asleep.

"Cam. I would do _anything_ for you. I can't promise not to protect you if-"

"_Promise." _I urged, pulling back from the hug.

"No." His jaw locked stubbornly, his glare determined.

"If you don't promise, I will be out of this apartment and hunting the Circle down myself, without you guys." I raised an eyebrow, my competitive side coming out. He sighed and rolled onto his back, saying nothing.

"I promise." Zach spit out after a while.

I could feel waves of anger radiating off of him, so I faced my back towards him and fidgeted with the tips of my long hair. I suddenly wasn't tired anymore.

Eventually I fell asleep. Zach and I stayed awake for two more hours, just laying together. I could tell he was angry, so I didn't try to talk to him. I never heard his breathing even out before I fell asleep. I wonder how much longer he stayed up for.

**Zach's POV**

Bloody hell! I hate these stupid little child games they play. 'Nose goes'? What _is_ that? Whatever. I rinsed the toothpaste out of my mouth and flipped the lights off, tripping over Jonas's arm.

"Sorry," I muttered. He just groaned and shuffled closer to Liz, who draped an arm around his neck.

I lifted the covers and got in quickly, seeing Cammie shiver and pull her legs up to her chest. She suddenly flipped over and wrapped her skinny arms around my neck, pulling me into a tight hug.

I blinked in surprise, but hugged her back.

"Don't ever get hurt for me. Promise." She whispered. I stiffened. Not this again. Why didn't she understand that I _love_ her?

"Cam. I would do _anything_ for you. I can't promise not to protect you if-" She cut me off.

"_Promise_." She begged, pulling back. Her bright eyes shone in the low light. Like hell I will.

"No." I glared at her. Why is she being so difficult?

"If you don't promise, I will be out of this apartment and hunting the Circle down myself, without you guys." She threatened. I saw her glare back through the darkness. I knew she could do it, too. She was quiet as a mouse-she could sneak out when we were all sleeping or something.

I wanted to scream at her in frustration. I wanted to grab her shoulders and jiggle some sense into her. I raked a hand through my hair roughly and flipped onto my back.

"I promise." The words tasted like acid to me, and I spit them out venomously. I knew she could tell I was angry with her, so she flipped back over and played with her hair, knees pulled up to her chest. I wanted to scoot over to her side and snuggle her into my chest, but I was too angry with her at the moment. After about two hours, she fell asleep.

It was only then I allowed myself to pull her small, cold body towards me and protect her. If I couldn't protect her when she was awake, I would protect her when she was asleep. Her body was curled up, so I placed my arm around her and fell asleep to the scent of her hair.

I woke up, and Cammie and I were in the exact same position as I put her in last night. I sat up, rubbing my eyes. Everyone was already in the kitchen, making breakfast. Cammie gasped and shot up, a tiny shriek escaping her lips. I whirled around and my eyes raked her body, checking for any injuries.

"Cam? Are you okay?"

She looked at me, seeming surprised I was next to her.

"What? Yea! Just a bad dream." She chuckled nervously and quickly made her way to the kitchen. I stared at her curiously, but followed her. We all ate and got ready. Cammie came out of the bathroom looking extremely uncomfortable in a flowy summer-y dress with flowers all over it. She wore a blue jean-jacket over it and these heel sandal thingies. She looked gorgeous.

I walked over to her and pecked her on the lips. She blinked.

"I thought you were mad at me." She whispered.

I sighed. "I was. But then I realized there was no point to be mad at you. So I forgive you again." I smirked. She rolled her eyes. We all piled out into the hallway and were walking towards the elevator when Cammie stopped, wide-eyed.

We all slowed and looked back at her.

"Cammie? You okay?" Tristan asked.

"Do you guys hear that?" Cammie whispered. We all quieted our breathing and listened, our ears straining. There was the faintest of tickings-so faint that you wouldn't be able to hear it if someone pointed it out to you-and if you were a spy, of course.

"What is it?" Liz asked.

"How did you hear that?" Macey asked, bewildered. Cammie opened her mouth and shut it again.

"Guys. Remember in the note? How it said that they had a plan to bring us down?" Cammie asked. We all nodded, wondering where this was going. "I think they've going to bomb this apartment building. That's what happened in my dream, as weird as that is, so I was looking out for it." she said solemnly.

My breathing sharpened-I recognized the ticking now. The rhythmic pattern of it-how it was _tick-tick..tick. Tick-tick...tick. _

"That's a Circle bomb. I recognize the ticking pattern." I stated.

"Well, shit." Bex exclaimed.


	22. Next Time I'll Bring My Helmet

_"That's a Circle bomb. I recognize the ticking pattern." I stated._

_"Well, shit." Bex exclaimed._

**Cammie's POV**

We looked at each other, panic glued to our faces.

"Okay, okay, okay, don't panic. Calm down! It's gonna be okay. We just have to find the bomb, find out how long we have until it goes off, and deactivate it before it blows about 300 people to bits! It'll be okay, right?" Grant rambled.

We put on our '_are you an idiot?'_ face we preserved only for Grant.

"What if it goes off _right now_?" Bex exclaimed.

"Then we better start looking." Tristan said, determined.

"Okay. Zach. How long do the bombs have until they go off usually?" I questioned.

"Only about twenty four hours. And odds are they placed that bomb when they gave you the note." He said.

"...So we have until about 11 at night. It's currently 10 A.M. right now, so we have exactly thirteen hours! Let's get to work." Jonas calculated. We walked over to the section of the wall in the hallway where the ticking was loudest.

"How the hell are we supposed to get in there? Ram the wall down with our bulldozers we keep in our suitcases?" Macey exclaimed.

"The Circle agents and my mom must have had to gotten in there somehow. We just have to keep looking." Zach stated calmly.

Macey and Tristan went downstairs to check there, Liz and Jonas tried to look up the ticking pattern on their CIA laptops to see what kind of bomb it _exactly_ is, Bex and Grant stayed on that floor, and Zach and I went to the roof.

We climbed up there, and the wind immediately started whipping my hair and dress around. I stumbled and Zach caught me. I looked up at him thankfully and he silently smirked a 'you're welcome'.

"I can't even hear the ticking through the wind." I shouted.

"Maybe we should try laying down and pressing our ears to the roof?" He suggested. We did just that, and I strained my ears as hard as I could, and I could barely hear the familiar tick-tick...tick. A normal human wouldn't have been able to hear it at all.

Suddenly, a loud clap of thunder and lightning illuminated the sky, and it started sprinkling.

"...Seriously. Could this day _get_ any worse?" I complained. Zach chuckled.

"It's just rain, Cam. Now come on - I think I found a way in." My eyes lit up and I stood, skipping to where he was standing.

"...Zach." I stood over him - he was standing on a flat piece of the roof, staring at the ground triumphantly.

"Yea?"

"THIS IS JUST ANOTHER PART OF THE ROOF." We were standing on...absolutely nothing. No hidden door, no code to get IN the secret door, nothing.

"Cam, you need to calm down. We're gonna be okay." Zach took my hand and looked worriedly into my eyes.

I sighed. "I just don't want anyone to get hurt." My voice sounded so little and small-like a nine year old.

"Me neither. And this whole thing is my mother's fault. I'm always just so guilty..." He pulled me into a hug, and I wrapped my arms around his neck.

"You shouldn't. I'm serious, Zach. None of this is in any shape or form your fault. _It's mine_." I whispered the last part. His grip tightened.

"It's _not." _He argued. I shook my head, but he pulled back. "Let's not start." He said, pecking me on the lips.

"Anyways," He said, running a hand through his kind-of dripping hair. "We're _not _standing on another part of the roof. Watch."

He bent down and knocked a pattern-the same one the ticking was.

_Knock-knock...knock. _He did it six times. And suddenly, a small trapdoor sprung open. I gasped, and he looked up and smirked at me.

"How did you know to do it six times?" I asked.

He shrugged. "C-i-r-c-l-e. If you count the letters, there's six. Their passwords always have something with six in it."

I nodded. That was smart. We carefully climbed in, and it was actually a hollow, dark, dripping room _inside_ the walls. Kind of like a secret passageway-except a lot more disgusting. Once we got in, Zach closed the hidden door. He put his arm around my shoulder for warmth.

The ticking was a lot more loud in here, and it echoed off the walls eerily, the pattern blurring together. The sound seemed to surround us, and it kind of overwhelmed me.

"There it is!" I pointed to a black thing set on a desk, with its red and blue lights blinking.

He sighed in relief. "Great. Let's go get it, before Macey has to bring out her bulldozer."

I hesitated. This kind of seemed too easy. And, as if right on time, Zach's mother stepped out of the shadows and flipped the lights on.

And we were surrounded by, oh I don't know, about thirty or more Circle agents.

My jaw dropped open in surprise. I really did think no one else was in the room.

My spy senses were still messed up from the poison.

"Zachary! My dear boy, what a pleasant surprise!" Mrs. Goode exclaimed fakely. He rolled his eyes.

"Mother dearest. It's so good to see you." He said in the fakest voice he could manage. I almost snickered.

"Oh, and Cammie. It's a shame that the poison didn't finish you off." She pouted. Zach glared.

"You know what's a shame? That you didn't trip and fall into a hole and die on your way here." A snort escaped through my lips. I pressed them together tightly and felt Zach's hand tighten on mine.

His mother rolled her eyes. "Oh, no need to be so _dramatic _about this, Zachary. Either way, your beloved little _Cameron _is going to die, whether we get her now or the bomb blows her to bits."

"_Why the hell do you want her so bad? _Is it just the pure joy of making me suffer? Has it become your hobby to take everything away from me?" Zach screamed. His voice echoed around the room, and I cringed.

She rolled her eyes. "Not everything is about you, Zachary. She just has some...information that we need. And after she gives it to us we'll simply finish her off-quickly and painlessly. No big deal."

I blinked. She just talked about my death as if it was just finishing a bottle of lotion. As if I was disposable and useless.

"Well what if I don't give it to you?" I spat. The Circle agents were looking back and forth at us, Mrs. Goode with her hands on her hips and a sinister sneer on her face, and me and Zach, him pressing me behind him, half-hidden.

She shrugged. "Oh, you will."

And cue the line that I have heard so many times in life it's kind of getting annoying: Get her.

Everybody sprung into action. I knew we weren't going to win-it was two against thirty-one. The best we could do was stall for time until everybody else got in here. I watched out for needles, because I seriously did not need any more mental damage than I already had. But it didn't look like they brought the poison again.

We roundhouse kicked, slapped, punched, tripped, and even bit people. But on the negative side, we also fell, got punched, got kicked, got slapped, got crushed, and my head got slammed into a wall.

Repeatedly.

With much force.

Zach pulled the guy off me and slammed _his_ head into a wall as I crumpled to the ground.

"Yea. Not a very good feeling, _is it?" _Zach hissed, after knocking his head into the wall a few more times and then slapping a napotine patch on him.

"Hey. What's that noise?" I heard Macey's voice ask. I gasped. I forgot our friends were right outside this wall! I struggled to stand up as Zach protected me from the Circle agents trying to get to me.

"Mace! MACE!" I screamed, pounding on the wall.

"Cammie?" She screamed back.

"I-we're in the wall! We're being attacked by-" Suddenly, a rag that smelled strongly of alcohol was pressed over my mouth.

"What?" I heard Bex shout.

"We're in the wall! Get up to the roof, and follow the noise of our fight. Knock the pattern knock-knock...knock six times!" Zach shouted, punching the man behind me and wrenching the rag off my mouth as I gagged and vomited a bit in my mouth, on my knees.

I heard Tristan shout, "Go!" And their quick footsteps retreating. After my head stopped swimming, I went back to the fight. Zach had lots of bruises and cuts, and I instantly felt guilty.

I kicked some guy where the sun-don't-shine, but turns out that this one was a girl. She groaned a little, but didn't collapse to the floor like I expected them too. She punched my head.

Okay, people. What is it with you and my head? I already had a large wound on the side of it that was bleeding heavily. Just let it alone. I punched her back and she collapsed.

I think we were doing pretty good. We've gotten about half the agents down, but out of the corner of my eye I saw Mrs. Goode fiddling with the bomb.

Suddenly, the door opened and my friends piled in. I sighed in relief, and I took the moment of distraction to catch my breath, panting heavily. I reached up and touched the side of my head, and my hand came away soaked in blood. My friends and I were distracting the remaining 15, and Zach came over to me and dragged me up to the roof. No one even noticed that we left.

"Cammie." He groaned. "You need to stop getting hurt."

"Oh, I'm sorry. Next time I'll run and go put on my helmet." I spat. He sighed and pressed his hand to my head, and drew it away, dripping blood. I looked at it and swallowed, scared.

"Zach," I whimpered. He ripped his shirt off and pressed it to my head, and I leaned against his arm.

"You better not fall asleep, Cammie, or I swear to god I'll..." His voice broke.

"You'll what?"

"If you leave, I'll _cry_." He stated. Woah. _That _woke me up. Zachary Goode crying? That sentence didn't even make sense in my mind. He cracked a sad smile.

"Did that wake you up?"

I chuckled. "It did, actually." His white T-shirt was completely red now, and I was getting dizzy.

I heard the shouts of the agents and Mrs. Goode when they realized Zach and I weren't in the room anymore.

"Shit." Zach said, dropping his soaked shirt and picking me up. It fell to the roof with a disgusting slosh. He sprinted to the stairs and practically tripped on his way down. He tried to go through the doors and into the hallway, but it was locked. I was slowly losing consciousness, and he knew it, too. He whipped his head around, and I heard the thundering sound of people chasing after us down the stairs.

We were trapped, and we both knew it.


	23. Dreamland

_We were trapped, and we both knew it._

**Zach's POV**

"God damn it all!" I muttered. "Cam?"

Her eyes had fluttered closed, and her breathing and heartbeat slowed dramatically.

"Cammie! Stay awake, please. Cameron!" I shouted, the footsteps getting closer. She moaned, and I put her down in a sitting position against the locked doors, stepping in front of her.

I quickly glanced back at her, and sticky, crimson blood was running down through the strands of her light-brown long hair. The reddish dye she had put in it in when I first found her finally washed out, and I was relieved. She looked so much better with her natural hair color.

The heavy breathing got louder, and the footsteps came closer. I prepared myself to fight, and was about to swing my fist into their face when a familiar voice stopped me.

"Zach!" Grant shouted, ducking.

"Shit! Sorry, man. I thought you were..." I trailed off, knowing he understood, and went back to Cam.

"S'cool. We need to hurry and get her out of here. It's not going to take them long before they find out where we are."

"We're going to have to go back on the roof. These doors are locked, and I can't find anything to pick the lock with. Sometimes I wish I was a girl - they have those useful black bobby pin things. Cammie never has any in her hair, though, and..." I stopped rambling and looked at Grant.

Grant grinned and pulled a fork out of his pocket.

"...Why do you have a _fork _in your pocket?" I asked, bewildered. Grant simply shrugged, picking the lock with his fork. I scooped Cammie up and mumbled things to her, trying to get her to stay awake.

I was afraid if she went to sleep, she would stay there. I bit my lip, not wanting to think about what is a very strong possibility right now.

"Zach, I'm sleepy. And I hurt. I want to sleep." Cammie whimpered.

"I know, love. Just a little bit more. Then you can sleep. I'm sorry." I cooed, kicking the door open the moment Grant got it unlocked, hearing footsteps behind us again.

I heard Cammie sigh softly, and her eyes were closed again.

My breathing was labored, and I was getting dizzy. The cuts down my arms and legs were still bleeding a bit, and my bruises were making me sore.

"Go! I'll distract them." Grant shouted. I nodded, and ran out into the apartment building lobby. Luckily, there was no one down there, and the desk attendant was in the back room filing some papers. "Cammie, please. Don't sleep."

Suddenly, an echoing _bang_ made its way into my head.

About five seconds passed before a shooting pain stabbed me in the stomach. I gasped and collapsed to my knees, making sure not to drop Cammie.

Oh my god.

No.

_No._

I couldn't breathe. It felt like my lungs were going to burst. I felt like a fish out of water, gasping for breath and clutching my bleeding stomach.

"Zach!" I heard Liz shriek.

I fell all the way onto the ground, face-first. I fell half-over Cammie, my arm around her waist and my face pressed near her hair.

She was unconscious.

I brought her body closer to mine, and knew that if I died here, it would be the place I wanted to die most.

**Grant's POV**

I saw Zach collapse and pull Cammie closer to him, and the couple laid there on the ground, bleeding their lives out.

Oh my god.

I quickly roundhouse kicked the man I was fighting and violently slapped a napotine patch on his face. I got behind Bex and punched the man she was fighting, knocking him to the ground. She slapped a patch on him. We ran over to Zach and Cammie, where Liz and Jonas were already crouching. Macey and Tristan had the last three Circle members – I'm sure they could handle it.

"Are they dead? Are they alive? Are they breathing? Are they okay?" Bex cried.

"They're obviously not _okay_!" I exclaimed, staring at their wounds.

Bex sniffled. "God, we need to get them to the hospital. We need to get them better."

I reached for her hand and squeezed it gently.

"They're breathing. Both of their injuries are pretty bad. But we might be able to fix it back up in the apartment without going to the hospital and creating a scene." Jonas explained in a rush.

"Bring them up. Quickly." Liz ordered, already dabbing a white ointment-looking type of thing on Cammie's head wound. I quickly hoisted Zach up onto my shoulder and got into the elevator. Macey and Tristan dragged the Circle members into a closet, tied them up, put an extra napotine patch on each of them, and decided that they'd deal with them later.

Tristan picked Cammie up and everyone piled into the elevator.

It was the most silent elevator ride I have ever been in.

Apparently this elevator didn't have music, so all we could hear was the occasional _drip_ of blood coming from Zach's gunshot or Cam's head wound, and the occasional _ding_ the elevator made after it passed every floor.

We were all doing our nervous habits: Jonas was tapping his foot loudly, Liz was picking at her cuticles, Bex was biting the inside of her mouth, Tristan was grinding his teeth, Macey was tapping her fingers, and I was rolling my tongue back and forth in my mouth.

I knew if Cammie and Zach were...conscious, Cammie would be tugging viciously at her hair, yanking strands out, while Zach told her to stop while chewing on his bottom lip.

The elevator finally got to the floor we needed to be on, and we literally sprinted out and into Cam's apartment. Macey slammed open the door, making a loud bang. We put Cammie down on the couch and Zach on the bed. Jonas and Liz got the first aid kit out.

Leaving it to Liz and Jonas, we all started showering, one by one.

I got out of the steamy shower and quickly pulled on jeans and a t-shirt, and ran out to see if Cammie or Zach had regained consciousness. They were all wrapped up now-Liz applied wound-closing ointment to their wounds and bandaged them up.

Jonas had pulled the bullet out of Zach, because Liz cried every time she tried to. They were breathing steadily now.

"I think they're going to be okay." Liz smiled wearily. Jonas heaved out a big sigh and collapsed into a chair, gulping down water.

Liz and Jonas both had Zach and Cammie's dried blood on their fingers, and they went to wash up. Bex walked out of the shower, and she ran over to me, throwing her arms around my neck in a hug. I blinked, surprised.

Bex usually didn't show her emotions – to anyone.

"Hey. They'll be okay. Shh, don't cry." I soothed her, hugging her and stroking her hair. I pulled back and tucked her hair behind her ear. She brought her hands up and shielded her face, harshly wiping the tears off her cheeks.

"Sorry." She breathed, still looking down. "I just...I just hate how this is happening to Cam. She deserves so much better than this. She deserves to live a safe life..."

"I know, Bex. I know." I pecked her on the lips and dragged her over to the couch.

Tristan had carried Cam over to the bed, knowing that when they woke up, they would want to be with each other.

Then, Tristan settled down with Macey on the floor, and they fell asleep together. I snuggled up with Bex on the couch, and fell into a dreamless slumber.

**Cammie's POV**

I woke to a painful throbbing in my head. I didn't open my eyes, knowing the light that was probably going to be streaming through the window in the room would hurt my head even more. But I knew that I would have to open them sometime, so I peeled my eyelashes apart, blinking groggily.

It was dark outside.

Huh.

For my internal clock to be messed up, I've probably been out for a while. I slowly became aware of my surroundings – all of my friends were asleep around me. It was two in the morning. We were back in my apartment. I felt breathing next to me, and I rolled my eyes over to the right to see Zach knocked out beside me.

I couldn't remember anything. I remember Zach urging me to stay awake, and then...darkness. I cupped Zach's stubbly cheek with my hand, but he didn't stir. I sighed and painfully rolled over onto my side, my body sore. I reached up, feeling a bloody bandage wrapped around my head. I groaned.

I knew I should probably tell one of my friends I was awake, but I didn't want to disturb them. Instead, I opted for running my hand through Zach's hair and memorizing the lines of his face with my fingers.

I had to say – even though my head was pulsing painfully, I was feeling extremely peaceful. My breathing was calm and matched Zach's, and I could barely see through the dark. The window was half-open, and the moon was casting blue rays into the room. Everyone was snuggled up with their boyfriend/girlfriend, and I smiled softly.

For a second, I could pretend that we were all going to be okay.

We were all going to be okay.

I heard Zach's breathing hitch a bit, and I looked at him, alarmed. He was still sleeping, though. Was he sleeping? Or unconscious?

I remember when he was carrying me, he hadn't been hurt. I scanned his face, seeing no major injuries save for a couple cuts and bruises. I lifted the blanket a little and saw that he didn't have a shirt on.

In the place of a shirt was a red-stained bandage wrapped around his stomach.

I ignored my throbbing head and sat up, scanning the room more carefully, my right hand rested on Zach's stomach.

There.

A desk with tweezers, a lot of bloody paper towels, and a small metal thing that was reflecting the light of the moon.

A bullet.

I bit my lip so hard that it bled a little.

I wondered if Zach had taken that bullet for me.

Considering the circumstances, he probably did. He had been carrying me, after all. My ears were ringing and I felt like I was going to throw up. I sat in the bed, hand still on Zach's stomach, taking deep breaths.

I needed a distraction.

I guess it's time to wake someone up.

"Lizzie?" I said. Nobody in the room even twitched.

"Bex? Mace?" Nothing.

"Grant. Tris? Jonas?" I called a little louder.

Again, nothing.

I sighed. I guess if they were in this deep a sleep, I should let them get their rest. I looked to my left, and noticed my guitar leaning against the bed. I shrugged and picked it up, laying it in my lap and scooting up against the headboard. I took my hand off of Zach's wound and picked up the pick, strumming the strings softly. I looked up to see if anyone woke up.

As I thought, nothing. They were too deep in Dreamland to notice anything happening in the real world. I started humming, picking out a melody on the strings nimbly with my fingers. The vibrations of the strings under my fingers calmed me.

This was something familiar. Something that would be with me until I died. Something that I had control over.

"Sees a smoking gun..." I hummed softly. I worked out more of the melody, lyrics rolling out of my mouth naturally.

_She sits in her cell,_  
_And she lays on her bed._  
_Covers her head and closes her eyes._  
_She sees a smoking gun,_  
_And the coward he ran._  
_And in her arms is the bleeding,_  
_Love of her life._  
_And she cries,_  
_Kiss it all better,_  
_I'm not ready to go._  
_It's not your fault love,_  
_You didn't know, you didn't know._

_His hands are so cold,_  
_And she kisses his face._  
_And says "Everything will be all right"._  
_She noticed the gun,_  
_And her rage grew inside._  
_She said "I'll avenge my lover tonight"._

_And he cried,_  
_Kiss it all better,_  
_I'm not ready to go._  
_It's not your fault love,_  
_you didn't know, you didn't know._

_Now she sits behind prison bars,_  
_25 to life and he's not in her arms._  
_She couldn't bring him back with a bullet to the heart,_  
_Or the back of a man and tore her world apart._  
_He was only a memory,_  
_All it is, is a memory._  
_hey, hey._  
_She cries,_  
_Stay with me until I fall asleep,_  
_Stay with me._  
_Stay with me until I fall asleep,_  
_Stay with me._  
_Stay with me until I fall asleep,_  
_Stay with me._  
_Stay with me until I fall asleep,_  
_Stay with me._  
_Kiss it all better,_  
_I'm not ready to go._  
_It's not your fault love,_

_You didn't know, you didn't know._  
_Kiss it all better._  
_Stay with me until I fall asleep,_  
_Stay with me._  
_Stay with me until i fall asleep,_  
_Stay with me._  
_Kiss it all better._  
_Stay with me until I fall asleep,_  
_Stay with me._  
_Stay with me until I fall asleep,_  
_Stay with me._

My arm was extremely sore and aching now from the strumming, but I don't care. I finished my song and continued picking out random melodies from my guitar, losing myself in the music.

Dawn arrived, and rays of sunlight peeked through the windows. I was still with my guitar, waiting for someone to wake up.

Every few seconds, my eyes wandered over to Zach, who hasn't even twitched. It was 7:15 now, and Macey moaned and rolled over, throwing an arm over her eyes. I continued strumming, keeping my eyes on Macey, knowing she would come to soon enough.

Macey stretched, her eyes still closed. She stopped stretching and just lay there. She was laying on a spot on the floor where a batch of warm sunlight hit, and her black, shiny hair looked brown.

Suddenly, she froze and her eyes flew open, realizing what the musical strumming was in the background.

"Cammie!" She shrieked, jumping up and gently squishing me in a hug. "Are you okay? Does your head hurt? LIZ! BEX! WAKE UP!" Macey quickly ran over to them and yanked them away from their boyfriends' grip. Liz shrieked in shock and Jonas quickly shot up, but relaxed when they realized it was only Macey.

Bex shouted and blindly punched out, missing Macey by inches. Grant shot up, eyes wide, hair all ruffled from sleep. They glared at Macey.

But she didn't care, dancing over to Tristan and tickling him away.

"Gah!" He shouted, flailing around on the floor, sitting up. He, too, glared at Macey.

"Cam's awake!" Macey shouted, jumping up and down, her extremely messy side-braid flopping around in the air.

I can't believe they didn't notice. I was still playing the quiet melody on the guitar.

"Cammie!" They sighed in relief, all getting up and running over.

"I feel like you're getting fatal injuries too much lately, Cam. Stop it." Grant ruffled my hair. I rolled my eyes.

"I'll try and stop." I replied sarcastically.

Liz hugged me tightly and told me to be more careful. Jonas and Tristan kissed the top of my head, telling me they would buy me a helmet.

"I'll even get you a sparkly one, if you're good," Tristan grinned, amusement flickering around in his hazel eyes.

Bex unwrapped my bandage, gently combed my hair for me, and taped it up again.

"When's Zach going to wake up?" I asked quietly.

They eyed each other and shifted uncomfortably.

"What?" I demanded. "A day, a week? Come on, tell me. I'm a big girl – I can handle it." I was actually the youngest out of all of them, but that didn't matter.

"Well, the thing is, Cam..." Liz came over and patted my back. "We're not exactly...sure."

I blinked.

"What? You're always sure! How can you not be sure?" I asked, my voice raising a little. Liz flinched.

"I'm sorry, Cammie. It could be today, could be a week, could be months, or even years..." Jonas said softly. I blinked at them, expecting them to go all 'April Fool's' on me.

No one did.

"_What_?" My voice cracked. I looked over at Zach. He hasn't moved since I woke up, save for his shallow breathing.

They just shook their heads sadly.

I screamed in horror and anger, and chucked my guitar somewhere - I didn't care.

I wish that someone would burn it.

Because the guitar reminded me of Zach - the countless love songs I had written him, singing together...

I heard someone catch it and set it gently down to the floor. I crawled back under the covers with Zach and shut my stinging eyes, a numbness taking over.


	24. A Complete and Utter Mess

_I screamed in frustration and chucked my guitar somewhere, I didn't care._

_I heard someone catch it and set it gently down to the floor. I crawled back under the covers with Zach and shut my eyes._

**Cammie's POV**

Warm, sticky tears flew down my cheeks, and sobs erupted from my throat.

What if he never wakes up?

I'll never hear his voice again, never feel his arms around me again.

I wrapped my arms around his neck and hung onto him, wishing his arms would wrap around my waist like they would if he were awake. I heard my friends shuffle their feet awkwardly, probably wondering what to do.

"You want something to eat, Cammie-bear?" Grant asked. The use of Cammie-bear just made me even more angry.

I shot up and glared at him.

"No," I growled. "I'm not eating until Zach eats."

I knew I was being childish, but I didn't care.

"Well he is eating, hon," Liz assured me. "Just...through a tube."

I just shook my head and slunk back down under the covers.

"No food, Grant," I sighed.

"Alright..."

I started singing under my breath.

_She couldn't bring him back with a bullet to the heart,_  
_Or the back of a man and tore her world apart._  
_He was only a memory,_  
_All it is, is a memory._

"Stay with me...until I fall asleep," I choked out. "Stay with me..."

My stinging eyes shut, and I fell into an uncomfortable, dark slumber.

I woke up, blinking in the sunlight. I looked to my right, and saw Zach still sleeping. I felt like a stone – the emotions weren't keeping up with my thoughts. I couldn't feel anything. I knew somewhere in my heart I was grieving like a mad-woman, but on the outside, I was showing no emotion whatsoever.

That was when I knew that it was really bad.

The term 'I can't live without you', as ridiculously corny as it is, applies here. Isn't living all about expressing yourself, expressing your emotions? If you couldn't feel them, what was the point of living? Without Zach, I was a complete and utter mess.

Enough said.

I sighed and placed my hand on his cheek, brushing his hair out of the way. I longed to see his bright green eyes again, his cocky smirk, to hear his loud laugh and deep voice.

But right now, all I was getting from him was a reflection of myself.

An emotionless soul.

Except for me - I was conscious. I was suffering, even though I couldn't feel it.

**Two weeks flew by.**

Day by day, it was a routine. A boring, endless cycle.

Get up. Shower. Brush teeth. Eat breakfast. Crawl into bed with Zach. Get out. Eat lunch. Talk with everyone else for a bit. Crawl into bed with Zach. Get out. Eat dinner. Brush teeth. Go to sleep.

And repeat.

"He's never going to wake up, Mace," I sighed, leaning my head on her shoulder. She smoothed my hair.

"He will, Cam. He's fighting, I swear. He has something to live for now. But you need to stop putting your life on pause just because his is. You need to go out. You need to see _sunshine._"

"I don't want to see sunshine without him," I grumbled. I had seen sunshine, I had opened the window and gotten fresh air. But I hadn't exactly gone outside.

Jonas called the school and told them I was dropping out, moving to Africa or some other place. I didn't care what he told them - I didn't care about anything, at the moment.

"Why don't we all go out for dinner tonight?' Bex suggested, sitting across from where me and Macey were leaning against the wall.

"That sounds like fun!" Liz smiled, sitting next to Bex. Grant, Tristan and Jonas sat around us, nodding.

"What if he wakes up?" I asked, glancing at Zach's still form. His tan skin hadn't gone pale, but just...sickly. It was void of any color or blush on his cheeks, nothing. We wash his hair for him, so it's not oily or anything, and the guys wash his face and body, too. So he's still clean. But there's something about him that doesn't smell right when I cuddle next to him in my sleep.

He just doesn't smell like...Zach anymore. He smelled like the Dove soap.

"We'll be quick," Tristan promised, pulling us up. They were excited I was finally agreeing to go somewhere instead of moping around the apartment crying all day. I held back tears as I put on my jacket. I planted a quick kiss on his unconscious lips and we went to the Cheesecake Factory.

I got a Chinese Chicken Salad and picked at it, jumpy and nervous the whole time. Wondering if Zach had woken up, in a dark and empty apartment, lonely and confused, with tubes running through his arms.

Eventually we paid and left, and I sprinted back to the apartment.

I guess there was a small part of me that hoped that in the short time while I was away, he had woken up. By this point, I was desperate. I needed him to wake up.

I ran over to the bed, to see that he was in the exact same position that I left him in. I stared down at him for a while, going lifeless again. I could feel my shoulders slump down again, the color in my cheeks from running draining out.

I stripped off my jacket and crawled back into bed. I saw my friends exchange looks – it was back to depressing Cammie.

I laid down next to him again.

"I need you to wake up," I whispered to Zach. "Won't you wake up? Won't you wake up for me?"

No answer.

"I would wake up for you, Zach," I cried. "I would fight, and I would wake up for you. Why aren't you doing the same for me? Don't you love me?" My voice rose in desperation, and I was getting a bit hysterical.

"You said you loved me, that you would protect me. You broke your promise to me. You got hurt because of me. But you said you would always love me. How are you going to do those things if you don't wake up?" I shrieked, sitting up now. My fists were clenched and shaking, and anger and pain tore at my heart.

For the first time in two weeks, I was feeling something. And I was glad.

"Zach, wake up!" I shouted. "Just open your eyes."

I could see Liz crying now, and Bex and Macey were staring at me with wide eyes. I knew that look. It was the look where they're saying, 'She's gone mad.'

"Why won't you wake up for me? God, Zach...I love you. I love you. I thought you loved me too," I mumbled. My voice went from hysterical to sullen and quiet.

I slumped back down on the pillow and faced away from Zach. My throat was dry and scratchy from screaming, my eyes were sore from crying so much.

"But I do. I do love you."

I guess it took me a while to process it.

It took me a while to realize.

But when I did, I shot up. I still wasn't facing him. I was afraid to look. What if it was a figure of my imagination? What if I was so hysterical that my brain made up some fake Zach to ease the pain that crashed down on me all at once?

"What? No hello kiss?" His voice was scratchy and dry from under use. I slowly turned.

"Zach...?" There he was, sitting up, green eyes, smirk and all.

Before this, I had planned out the moment of when he woke up. I would laugh in delight and jump into his arms, planting kisses all over his face. I would run my fingers through his hair and hug him tightly, and sing him songs on my guitar.

But I find that I couldn't. I couldn't move.

"Cam?" He cocked his head to the side, and he held out his arms for me. I was rooted to my spot.

"You're awake. You're awake." I mumbled.

"I'm awake, Cam. I woke up for you." He said. That was it.

I jumped the few inches into his arms, and I nuzzled my wet face into his neck.

"You're awake!" I half-sobbed half-laughed. "You woke up."

"I'm sorry I left you for so long...I'm sorry I didn't wake up sooner." He rocked me back and forth.

"It's been so long, Zach. It's been two weeks. And I know it really doesn't sound that long, but it was to me. I honestly thought you were never going to wake up, and..." I raised my head and planted a kiss on his lips, and he finally, finally kissed back.

Zach was finally back.

I felt him smile into the kiss, and I hugged him tighter. I broke away, kissing his nose. Then his cheeks. Then his forehead. Then his neck. Then his lips again. He laughed, smothered in my kisses.

"Zach, you're back." Grant was grinning from ear to ear.

"I am," Zach smirked. They did an awkward one-handed shake hug thing. I wasn't planning on letting go of Zach anytime soon, and I don't think he planned on letting me go, either. Lizzie came over, crying, saying she was glad she didn't have to feed him through a tube anymore. Zach replied in a solemn voice that he was glad, too. She gave him a gentle hug.

Bex and Macey came over, saying that they could finally get their best friend back, explaining to him how I had barely eaten when he was in the coma.

He turned to me, frowning.

"Gallagher Girl," He warned.

"Blackthorne Boy," I said back. Then I stuck my tongue out at him. He kissed my nose. I laughed.

Finally, the emotion I could finally feel, the emotion I was yearning for for so long, it was back.

It was back and stronger than ever.

It was love.


	25. Today is The Day

_Finally, the emotion I could finally feel, the emotion I was yearning for for so long, it was back._

_It was back and stronger than ever._

_It was love._

**Cammie's POV**

I woke up, and for the first time in a long time, I didn't wake up dreading the day. Zach's scent filled my nose, and I opened my eyes to see grey.

I was utterly confused for a moment, until it started moving up and down. I then realized that my face was smushed into Zach's chest, his arms around my waist, face buried in my hair. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes again, not wanting to disturb the peace. I was the first one awake – which was a first – and I didn't want to face reality just yet. I wanted to lay there in Zach's arms and forget my spy duties for once.

My eternal clock was still foggy, and I didn't know what time it was. Good. I didn't want to. It could be eight in the morning – it could be eight P.M., for all I care. I laid like that for a long time, relishing in the fact that Zach was back again. I was smiling like an idiot, and I didn't care.

I was happy.

Zach started to stir, but I flung an arm around his waist to keep him from sitting up.

"Stay," I whispered, eyes still closed.

"With you? Always," he whispered. I grinned even more. I opened my eyes I tilted my head up, my chin pressed against his chest. He was looking down at me, the green of his eyes shadowed by his hair.

"I love you," I said. I wriggled up a bit in his arms and kissed him. He ran his fingers through my hair, gently working out the knots. I pulled away, laying back down.

"Love you too," he said.

"How do you feel?"

"Better than ever."

I couldn't help but let out a laugh. "Me too."

"Cam?"

"Mmmm?"

"I love you. I really, really do."

I giggled. "You said that already."

He shrugged, smiling. "I know. I wanted to say it again."

My heart fluttered, and I blushed.

Suddenly, I looked down at my friends sleeping on the floor and couch.

"I feel kinda bad. We should let them have the bed once in a while," I laughed. Zach looked down at them, and Grant suddenly twitched and rolled over, snoring softly. We rolled our eyes.

"We should. But I think their backs have gotten used to it by now," he muttered. We were silent after that, laying together, breathing softly.

"You know what, Zach?" I suddenly blurted, a sudden fury filling my chest as I had lay thinking.

"What?"

"Today is the day."

He arched an eyebrow. "Oh? And what, exactly, is today going to be the day of?"

I sat up, determination filling my heart. "Today is the day we _bring down _The Circle. I mean, do they think they can just _toy _with our lives as if we're some living puppets? Do they think they can kill the ones we love and get away with it? It's been too long, Zach. It's been too long since they've seen grief, known despair. It's been too long since someone's kicked them down. And you know what? I'm damn tired of it. We need to take a stand. We have -" I glanced at the clock.

It was nine o' clock in the morning.

"We have fifteen more hours in this day. And today doesn't have to be the day they're blown off the map completely, but today will definitely be the day it's started. It will be the day that things _change."_

I finished my sudden speech, panting a bit. Zach just sat there, looking at me in shock. And the only thing he had to say was, "Did you come up with all of that just now? It was very inspirational."

"Zach!" I playfully shoved his shoulder. "I mean it. I have...I just have a feeling that today...that today is going to be the day a...a revolution starts. I have this feeling inside my chest and it won't go away."

"Well, Cam..." Zach was serious now. "Other agents have tried, too. Older, more trained agents. With more skill level and strength. They've tried and failed. And it's not as simple as it sounds – some of us are going to get hurt. Or killed."

"I _know_ that, Zach, I know. But...I just think that today is important. I don't even know why, but I do. I have a feeling. So let's get to work, yea?" I smiled.

He sighed but smiled back. "If you think so, Gallagher Girl, then I trust you. Let's get to work."

We woke everybody up and I showered. Macey dragged me towards the closet in my towel, and Zach raised his eyebrows and smirked. I rolled my eyes but turned away, blushing.

I had told everybody else about my 'today is the day' feeling, and they said okay, and that they were in. Macey was prattling on about how our outfits needed to, 'Blend in, but still be high fashion. Comfortable, but still pretty.'

She dressed me in light wash distressed shorts, which were super stretchy and comfortable, a long, button-down high-low white tank top with wooden beads connecting the straps to the shirt, a ring that could also be twisted and be used as truth-serum, or knock-out gas. And then she let me slip on my beat-up grey converse. She made my hair all wavy, finished with a touch of body splash and hair-spy and told me I was done.

"Thank the lord!" I groaned, sprinting out of the bathroom. Bex and Liz were still stuck in there, and they shot me jealous death glares. I stuck my tongue out at them.

The guys were at the table, eating breakfast and discussing strategies. Grant looked up from his cereal bowl and crinkled his eyebrows together.

"What are you guys doing in there? It sounds like you're amputating someone's arm, with all of the cursing and screaming and crying."

"Oh, you wouldn't wanna go in there," I shook my head. "It's like a war zone. There are sharp things, hot objects, dangerous things on strewn all over the floor, spray that will make you suffocate..."

They laughed as I plopped down with a peanut butter honey sandwich, cut into two triangles. I raised one up and took a bite. Zach stole my other half and I glared at him, pouting.

He slowly put it back, a bite taken out of the side. I gave him a, 'that's right. Be afraid.' look.

Bex stumbled out the bathroom door, gasping, probably haven been recently sprayed with strong perfume. She was wearing jeans, combat boots, an off the shoulder shirt, and her hair was twisted into a side french braid.

"Oh, look who made it out!" I smiled. She glared at me and started making a sandwich.

"Hey, would you make me a-" Bex cut Grant off.

"If you tell me to make you a sandwich, I will personally rip out your liver," Bex growled in a threatening voice. Grant widened his eyes and raised his hands up in surrender.

"Warning: Don't talk to us for a while once Macey's done with us. We're just extremely cranky and in more pain than we show."

Liz and Macey came out together. Macey was frowning, her black hair straightened to a glossy shine.

"It's not _that_ bad. No pain, no gain," she shrugged. I shuddered. Zach made an affectionate noise and rubbed my back, amusement twinkling behind his eyes.

Everyone was at the table, now. We finished out breakfast, cleared the table, and sat back down.

"Alright, guys. It's time to get down to business." Tristan said. We all got serious, and we got out pencils, papers, pens, maps, and Liz and Jonas got out their laptops.

They instantly started typing furiously, trying to find out numerous Circle locations.

"Alright. Liz recently found out a way to disable cameras for _ten minutes _at a time." I said. Everyone blinked. Ten minutes was like ten years to a spy. Normally, we could only do it for about two seconds at a time.

"Damn. Nice work, Liz!" Grant grinned.

She blushed, muttering thanks. Jonas smiled proudly at her, which caused her to blush even more. I laughed.

"Alright. So if we have ten minutes to get inside and to their command center, we have time to knock out some people, maybe even get some information from them. Which will be easier." Zach said.

We knew we couldn't really plan this out. Things will go as they go, happen as they will. But it calmed our nerves a bit, made us feel a lot more in control of our situation.  
Jonas and Liz were creating a code together, one that would take hours of concentration, but once it was finished, they simply could place it into the Circle's information, press a few buttons, and voila! It was being transferred over to their laptops.

"How long?" Macey asked, leaning her face on her hand, elbow on the table.

"About forty-five minutes and twenty seven seconds." Jonas said, the glow of the laptop illuminating his eyes. Liz nodded with him, their gazes never leaving the screen.

It's been hours – it was six o' clock in the evening now, and for some reason, I was getting sleepy again. We were done discussing battle plans, tried to focus on each others' strengths and weaknesses, telling each other what we should and shouldn't do. We corrected our fighting stances and trained with each other. We did some work-outs to keep our strengths up, doing planks and push ups and ab curls. We passed out the coms units and shoved napotine patches into our pockets. We got knives and shoved them into our boots, or the waist-band of our pants. We ate so that our strength would be at its highest, and drank lots of water. We stretched and did everything and anything we could to to prepare, determination lighting up our eyes.

And now, we were just plain bored. Bex and Grant were blowing bubbles inside the apartment, catching each one of them in their hands so that they wouldn't make the floor all sticky. Tristan and Macey were sitting and talking, leaning against a wall and holding hands. Liz and Jonas were still working, and Zach and I were dancing.

He had an arm around my waist, and the other held mine. I placed my other hand around his shoulders, and we twirled around on the floor. We danced to nonexistent music, swaying to our own melodies. We were grinning ear to ear, and he dipped me dramatically, just like that time at Gallagher.

I threaded my fingers through his hair and pulled his face to mine, kissing him. We danced for about half an hour, until Liz and Jonas gave a cry of excitement.

"It's in! The code is in!" Liz shrieked, standing up and placing her laptop on the table. We all gasped and sprinted to the kitchen, crowding around their laptops, whose screens were identical. Numbers and letters and words were flashing across the screen brightly, constantly changing. It was kind of starting to give me a headache.

"How long until it does something?" Bex asked.

"About...now." Jonas says.

Suddenly, their laptop screens go completely white, and then it fades out into their desktop.

And on that desktop is a file.

And in that file?

In that file is the information we need to defeat the Circle, once and for all.


	26. The Code

_Suddenly, their laptop screens go completely white, and then it fades out into their desktop._

_And on that desktop is a file._

_And in that file?_

_In that file is the information we need to defeat the Circle, once and for all._

**Cammie's POV**

"This is it," Liz whispered.

Everybody in the room was so quiet – the only noise was the sound of our breaths.

"Well, go on then," Bex said gruffly. "Open it!"

Jonas hesitantly reached out a hand and placed his hands on the mouse. He slowly moved over to the file, the little white clicker hovering over the file, and looked at us. We all took a deep breath.

"Go," I said.

He double-clicked it.

And it opened.

And inside the file were millions of letters, numbers, codes...files inside of files...

"Oh my god," Tristan muttered.

"Try to find anything with Matthew Morgan," Zach said. "Cam's dad was the only one who knew how to take down the circle."

Liz reached over and typed something into the keyboard, and the random letters and numbers turned into words. It was a list of names and places and locations – placed in alphabetical order.

"Convenient," I muttered. We scrolled down to the M's and saw found a Morgan, Matthew.

"We don't have much time," Liz said. "Sooner or later they're going to get through our layer of protection we put up, and they'll know it's us. We have to hurry, and then ditch our laptops in a lake somewhere."

She double-clicked my father's name, and a file opened. More codes. Jonas typed in something again, and they slowly transformed into sentences.

And we read.

_Matthew Morgan. CIA thinks MIA. DOD: June 5, 2006. Age: 48. Daughter: Cameron Morgan. Wife: Rachel Morgan. Best friend: Joe Solomon. Eye color: Hazel. Hair color: Dirty blonde. Height: 6'2. Weight: 176 pounds. _

_Morgan was one of CIA's best agents. Was killed on a mission in Newport. The cause of death was multiple bullets in his chest. Body location is unknown – dumped into the ocean. Knew how to take us down – had created a code that would completely wipe out our system and let the CIA control everything technology-wise in all Circle bases. Would have taken all Circle files and transferred them permanently to his computer. Code still unknown to Circle – only person who knows is Cameron Morgan, his daughter. _

I finished reading, my eyes wide. So simple, yet so complicated.

"Is that true, Cam?" Grant asked. "Do you know the code?"

"I...I don't!" I stammered. "I mean...I don't think I do!"

Had my father somehow lodged it inside my brain when I was younger? Did he somehow find a way to tell me without me remembering – but something could trigger that memory so the code wasn't lost forever?

I took a deep breath and looked up at the ceiling.

I need to remember...I _need_ to remember.

I sat down and closed my eyes, rubbing my temples.

"Are you okay, Gallagher Girl?" Zach sat down by me and pulled me into his lap.

"I need to remember..." I said out loud this time. He soothingly rubbed my back and muttered encouraging words into my ear.

I barely had any memories of my father. He was always on a mission, or doing paperwork in his office. Not that he was a bad dad – he was a great dad. The best. But being a spy isn't an easy job, and sometimes it just doesn't give you time to play with your baby girl.

I only had about five memories of my father. I guess I would start with those.

One was when me and him and Mom were at the park. He was pushing me on the swings while he laughed with my mother, over the sounds of my delighted squeals. Nothing else had happened that day – other than me falling off the swing and crying.

Not that one.

The other ones were pretty much the same – a day at the beach, a birthday party, a game of hide and seek, and one time when he was teaching me how to roundhouse kick a guy in the jaw.

Wait...my birthday party.

My birthday party.

My eyes were closed, hands hanging onto Zach's for dear life. I heard everyone in the background trying to memorize or write down everything there was on the file before it disappeared.

But I blocked them out and focused on my heartbeat, and the warmth of Zach's breath on my cheek, and his musky scent enveloping me. I slowed my heartbeat down and calmed my breathing, and suddenly, thanks to my photographic child-spy memory, I was there.

I was wearing a purple ruffled tank top with a pair of denim shorts, and neon yellow flip-flops. My hair was in two braids, and I was missing a tooth in front. A few of my old friends from the neighborhood were there, and we were at the park.

We were gathered around the picnic table, and I had just blown out my candles. The cake was strawberry, and there was a _Happy Birthday Cammie-bear!_ Written on it in red cursive.

It was time to open my presents. When I got down to my dad's, he handed it to me. It was a large box, and I remember it contained a gigantic teddy bear. The wrapping paper was a gorgeous, glittery gold color, so I had peeled it off without ripping or tearing anything. I remember I had smoothed it out under my hands, and flipped it over, hoping that the glitter would be on that side, too.

But it wasn't. Instead, there were a bunch of letters. And numbers.

It was the code.

In my memory, little-me shrugged and turned it back over, but I had seen it long enough. I back-tracked in my mind and paused at when I flipped it over.

My eyes still closed, I got off of Zach and leaned against the wall.

"Get me paper. Now," I said. I heard a rush of feet for a pen and a notebook, and I took it from whoever gave it to me.

I wrote down the code quickly before the memory faded, my hand starting to cramp. I barely felt it when I ran out of paper and someone snatched the notebook from me and turned the page.

I don't know how long I was writing. The tiny little numbers and words and letters on the back of my glittery paper was written in such small fonts I could barely make it out. I was just grateful that I was a spy – a civilian wouldn't be able to do this.

I guess little-me had memorized the code, but didn't realize it.

Once I was done, I had filled up three pieces of lined paper, front and back. Symbols and odd shapes filled the page, and the side of my hand was smeared with blue ink.

"Cammie...how did you find it?" Zach asked, staring wide-eyed at the paper. I dropped the pen and cracked my knuckles.

"I was trying to re-live the memories that I had of my father, and I remembered this one birthday party I had with him, my mom, and some neighborhood kids. He had gotten me a giant teddy bear in a box, and I think I loved the gold glittery wrapping paper he wrapped it in more than the bear. So I had gently peeled it off without ripping it, and I was petting the glitter, and I was curious to know if the other side had glitter, too. So I had flipped it over and saw the code – long enough for my to subconsciously memorize it, but not realize it. But I remember it now – I remembered it." I said in a rush.

"What happened to the wrapping paper?" Macey asked.

I shrugged. "I guess my dad knew I would flip it over and somehow memorize it. He probably burned it or something."

"Well, now that we have the code, there's no time to waste. The file is gone from the computer – we've been hacked back. We have to move now," Jonas said.

I nodded, and Zach helped me up from the floor.

"It's time," I said.

We all jogged out from the building, trying to conserve our energy while not wasting time. It was 7:00 P.M., and most normal families would be having dinner right now.

But not us.

We were just out to destroy one of the world's top terrorist organizations.

No big deal.

We 'borrowed' a sleek-looking black car, and Tristan was driving. He floored it and we sped off to the placed that Zach and I had once been; the one where we were hiding behind the two-way mirrors. Jonas and Liz had found a blue print of all of the Circle bases, and this one was one of the biggest, with the biggest command center.

The plan was simple enough.

We all had coms units in. The girls and I tied our hair up into tight buns, so our hair wouldn't distract us. Liz and Jonas would deactivate the cameras and bugs around the base for six minutes. In that time, we would get in and find the command center, knocking out as many people as we could. Our pants and shirts and pockets and boots were stuffed with napotine patches. Once we found it, Grant, Zach and I would knock out the people working in the command center and drag them into a closet that was nearby, while Macey, Tristan, and Bex played look-out. Jonas and Liz would start typing in the code as Grant, Bex, Zach and I went to find Cassandra Goode.

Tristan and Macey would still be guarding the doors to the command center, to knock out anybody who came to try and stop Jonas and Liz.

Once they typed in the code and transferred all the files to their laptops, the Circle's database would be empty. But we would have names of all of the Circle's agents, whereabouts, locations, the agents' locations, the agents' families – every important detail about them we could have possibly dreamed for.

Once the cameras and bugs turned back on, it would be okay, because the people in the command center would be knocked out cold laying in a closet somewhere.

The hope for this mission was to kill as little people as possible – we were spies, but still humans – and to _finally_ defeat the Circle.

We got there in ten minutes flat, and we looked at each other, knowing that some of us may be seriously injured or even...die on this mission. But we were willing to risk it.

It's what spies did – risk their own lives for the sake of others.

It didn't mean it was easy to do, but it was necessary.

"I love you guys," I broke the silence. Tears were threatening to spill down my face and I choked on a sob chuckle thing.

"We love you too, Cams. We love each other. We're a family, and nothing could tear us apart," Grant smiled. Everyone nodded back, and we all squeezed hands.

"It's time to get going. Jonas, Liz...deactivate the bugs," Tristan whispered. They nodded, and ten seconds later...they looked up.

"Let's move," Jonas said. We got out of the car and quickly sprinted to the building, leaving the car there. Liz was carrying the blueprint to this base, and said that there was a supply closet that was hardly ever used in the back of the building that had a window.

We quietly ran around the building, and I was grateful that we didn't have to avoid any cameras. We found the window, and of course, it was locked.

But Grant was strong enough to just pop it off of its hinges, making no noise as he did so. We hoisted each other up, and fell gracefully on our feet in the dark closet.

I dropped to the floor once I got in, and checked under the door for peoples' feet.

Hey. Just because it was a technique we used in hide-and-seek didn't mean it wasn't effective. Nobody was there.

"Let's go," Bex whispered. We opened the door, and Zach looked left and right to confirm that nobody else was in the hallway. We had to go left down this one, then make a sharp right, go into the second double-doors on the left of that hallway, up some stairs, then go right, and at the end of that hallway would be the command center.

We sprinted down the hallway, Zach and I in the lead.

It didn't surprise me when the first few Circle members appeared the moment we turned right. It was easy enough to take care of them, and they were out cold within the first two minutes. We just continued going down hallways as if nothing had happened – there was no time to hide the bodies.

We got to the double doors and sprinted up the stairs, and we could hear footsteps and shouts behind us. We didn't care.

We _needed _to get Jonas and Liz into the command center. When we got there, we tried to fling open the doors, but they were locked. Macey was our best lock-picker, and she grabbed a bobby pin from her bun and picked it in three and a half seconds flat.

I grabbed the cold, metal door handle and yanked it open, only to see at least twenty Circle agents sitting in chairs surrounded by technological equipment.

There were way more people in here than we expected.

We didn't waste any time. I ran forward and grabbed a woman by the collar and yanked her off her chair, punching her square in the nose. I rammed her head into the wall and reached into my boot, tearing open the napotine patch adhesive with my teeth, and slammed it on her neck.

We battled it out for a long time, and Jonas and Liz had already gotten to the computers farthest away from the fight, plugged their laptops in, and started typing. A man was sprinting towards them, but I was faster. I went after him and roundhouse kicked the back of his head, making him trip and fall down.

But a sudden knife cut to the back of my thigh caused me to gasp and whirl around, looking into the sneering face of another large man.

"Asshole," I spat, clenching my fingers together to punch him in his private area. But he caught my hand and twisted it behind my back. I couldn't help but cry out in pain when he cut me again with his knife.

"Don't touch her!" I heard a sickening snap, and Zach yanked me away from my spot just in time to avoid the now-unconscious man from crushing me.

There was no time for thank-you's, as more people were coming. Half of the people were down, but more were coming into the command center, obviously having heard the commotion.

There was no time. We were outnumbered – badly. Until I remembered the extra ring Liz had slipped me before we went through the window.

A knock-out gas bomb.

I pulled out red pills from my right boot, and swallowed one. It would make us immune to the knock-out gas. I quickly shook out two for Jonas and Liz, and they swallowed it.

I turned around just as Zach was roundhouse kicking a man in the chest, and I just ran over and shoved it in his mouth.

He looked at me questioningly but swallowed it.

"Cover me," I said. He followed me as I weaved through the crowds of people, making sure nobody touched me or my pills. I found Bex next, and ducked under her punch, shoving the pill in her mouth.

Trust was a good and bad quality to have as a spy.

But we trusted each other with out lives. So she, like Zach, swallowed it without question. I found Tristan next, and put one in his mouth too.

Swallowed.

But then I heard Zach cry out in pain. I whirled around and saw a deep gash in his stomach.

I quickly snuck up behind the man who cut him and pulled out a knife of my own from my knife belt, and twirled it around my fingers once before stabbing him in the stomach.

"Yea, not so pleasant, is it?" I snapped as he fell down to the ground.

Zach's wound wasn't quite as deep as the man's, but whatever. He'll live. I found Grant next, and put one in his mouth. Last was Macey, and she swallowed it, too.

The desks and computers were set up in a large circle, and the center of the room, in the middle of the computers, was empty. I ran there and took my ring off, and chucked it as hard as I could onto the ground.

I heard it crack open and invisible gas started seeping out of it with a low whistle. I quickly got away from the spot and fought until they finally, finally all fell down.

We were bloody, sweaty, tattered, and tired. But it wasn't over yet.

"Grant, Bex, Zach. Let's go," I said.

There was no time to waste.  
We already took too long in here, anyway. I threw Macey and Tristan the pills, in case they or Liz and Jonas needed more.

"We're halfway done!" Liz announced, fingers flying across the keyboard.

"Good. Let's go," Grant said. For once, his face was solemn, his easy grin not playing on his lips.

We ran out of the room. According to Liz's map, Mrs. Goode's office was near the command center. That was the best place to start.

My lungs felt like they were about to burst, and sweat was flowing down my back in a steady stream now. But I didn't stop, or slow down. None of us did. It was what we were trained to do.

We reached the office and I pulled out a bobby pin this time, and picked it in five and a half seconds.

A gun immediately was put to my head, the cold metal burning my temple.

"Don't move," a gruff voice said.

But I did move. I quickly jabbed a pressure point in his wrist, my hand moving so fast he could barely see it, and caught the gun when he dropped it.

"No," I said darkly. "_You_ don't move."

He kept eye contact with me, but put his hands up. Cassandra Goode stood up from behind her desk. There were two other men in the room, and binders and papers and books were scattered around the desk. I also saw a file with my name on it, and a picture of all of us.

They must have been coming up with a strategy to capture us. One bad thing about soundproof walls and doors is you never know when there's a fight outside. Grant pulled a gun out from his belt, and Zach and Bex did the same.

To be honest, we didn't really like using guns. We found it unfair – cheating, in a way. But it was necessary. You had to fight firearms with firearms.

It was four on four. We each had a gun pointed to a person, and the silence in the room was deafening.

"What are you waiting for? Shoot. Shoot!" Mrs. Goode looked like she was suffering from extreme stress. I guess this whole capturing Cammie mission has worn her out, too. I almost felt bad for her. There were deep bags under her eyes, her skin was pale and clammy, her hair oily and stringy.

Nobody made a move. My fingers were shaking, but I moved it over the trigger anyway.

I swallowed thickly.

This had to be done...this had to be done.

Zach's gun was aimed at his mother, and Bex and Grant had the other two agents. Was he going to do this? Would he shoot his own mother? As much as he always refused to call her his mother, and no matter how much he despised her, there was a bond between a mother and her child that nothing could break.

But I guess we hesitated too long, because the man I was pointing my gun at suddenly ducked and literally swept me off my feet.

And not in a good way. I pounded the butt of the gun into his head, but that didn't even faze him. He got my gun and shot blindly, and I rolled over to the side.

But the bullet grazed my hip, and I screamed. Our guns only had one bullet each. The top of my pants were soaked through with blood now, but I didn't care. I struggled to get up, and being too weak to use physical force to knock him out, I quickly pretended a punch, and when he ducked, I jabbed my fingers into a pressure point on his neck, making him pass out.

Another shot rang out. I whirled around, making sure it wasn't one of my friends. It wasn't. Grant had shot one of the men, and he was dead on the floor.

Grant looked haunted – it was his first kill.

"It's alright. It had to be done," Bex whispered reassuringly. Then she took a shaky breath and pulled her trigger, killing her man too.

Only Zach's mom was left.

I don't know why she didn't move – why she didn't try and fight. She looked so worn down and tired and..._old._

"Just do it, Zachary," she closed her eyes. "I'm tired of this. The Circle is dying tonight, and I'm dying with it. Congratulations. You won."

He had his mask on, and he was just staring at his mother, gun still raised.

"_I said to shoot me, Zachary!_" She suddenly screeched. "Please...just kill me. I'll join your father. I really did love him, Zachary. Please, for once, just listen to your mother."

With that, Zach pulled the trigger.

And Cassandra Goode fell down.


	27. Of Keys and Locks and Endless Love

_He had his mask on, and he was just staring at his mother, gun still raised._

_"I said to shoot me, Zachary!" She suddenly screeched. "Please...just kill me. I'll join your father. I really did love him, Zachary. Please, for once, just listen to your mother."_

_With that, Zach pulled the trigger._

_And Cassandra Goode fell down._

**Cammie's POV**

I closed my eyes and looked away – anywhere but at the body on the ground. Just because we were spies didn't mean that we liked the sight of death. We were silent, and I could hear the blood rushing in my ears. I swallowed and took a deep breath, and walked over to Zach.

I didn't say anything, I didn't even look at his face. I just walked over and buried my face into his chest, and hugged him tight. At first he just stood there, probably still staring at his mother, but then I heard the gun clatter to the ground loudly and his arms wound around me so tightly I could barely breathe. He leaned down and buried his face in my neck, and I could feel slippery tears soak my skin and shirt.

His breathing became even more uneven, and then he started sobbing. His shoulders were shaking, and he had to take occasional violent gasps to get air into his system. The sound and feel of him crying – Zach, who was usually so strong – made tears come to my eyes, too.

"Zach..." I murmured, running my fingers through his hair. "It's okay. You did the right thing."

"I know I did," he mumbled, and then sniffled. "And that's why it's so hard. The right thing to do was to kill my own mother. Not that I could ever call her that – but that's the thing. I wish I could. I wish she acted like a mother towards me."

I didn't know what to say, so I turned my head and kissed his cheek, and saw that his eyelashes were thick and clumped together with tears. I didn't want to say that it was going to be okay, because I didn't know that. I didn't know if it was going to be okay, and it was a phrase that's been said by so many people at so many times that the words just didn't mean anything to either of us anymore.

Bex and Grant had gone outside and shut the door, probably guarding it for any other Circle agents in the base, giving us alone time.

"I love you," I smiled.

He squeezed me tighter. "Always."

Grant opened the door, his face still serious and grim. I didn't like it. I wanted his huge, sappy grin back on his face. I wanted him to laugh his bellowing laugh, his head thrown back.

"Liz and Jonas are done. They got it. It's on the desktop of your mom's computer right now, Cam. It's over," he said.

I couldn't believe it.

It was over.

The Circle was gone – we had all of their information, and we could slowly pick off each and every one of their bases and agents. I guess the Circle agents in the building realized this, and they fled.

We didn't do anything to stop them. The CIA would catch them eventually.

Zach looked up, the only evidence of his tears were his wet eyelashes. I dried them with my thumb and he smiled, kissing me.

"It's over," I whispered. Then I turned to my friends – Mace, Bex, Jonas, Tris, Lizzie, and Grant – and laughed. "It's over. _It's over!_"

I ran over to them – Zach in tow – and flung myself on top of them. They grinned hugely and laughed, and we hugged each other so hard that outsiders would think we were trying to strangle each other.  
"Thank you guys," I said, pulling back.

"For what?" Lizzie smiled.

I grinned back like a madman. "For everything."

We called Mr. Solomon to clean up the unconscious and dead people on the ground, and we walked out. Just like that. We didn't even need to check for cameras or avoid anybody, like our spy instincts automatically made us do.

Mr. Solomon arrived and we went back to Gallagher, and I took in the view of my home for the first time in months. Throughout the whole car ride we were silent, but disbelief and joy and excitement was bouncing around in the air, and I didn't let go of Zach's hand once.

We got out of the car and I couldn't help but laugh and throw my hands in the air, and spin around in a circle. I was so glad to be back from that apartment. I was so glad to see Mr. Solomon. I sprinted to my mom's office, threw open the door, and launched myself at her. She cried silent tears and petted my hair, saying how much she missed me.

Then I walked off to my beloved secret passageways, for once loving the spiderwebs and dust that lingered on the walls and in the air. Zach caught up to me in there and pressed his lips hard against mine, and I wound my arms around his neck.

"Do you regret it?" I murmured against his lips.

"Regret what?"

"Killing her," I replied.

"If it means keeping you safe, I'll do anything," he breathed. I smiled and pulled him closer, running my fingers through his thick brown hair. He looked at me with his bright green eyes and smiled gently.

"I love you, Cam."

"I know you do," I scrunched up my nose and giggled. He pouted and backed away.

"Say it," he said in a mock-warning voice.

I started walking towards him as he walked backwards.

"Say what?" I asked, putting on an innocent face.

"Say you love me...!" Zach laughed, backing up even faster.

"And what if I don't?"

"Then no kisses for you!" He exclaimed.

I made my face fall, and I lunged for him, circling my legs around his waist.

"Love you," I smiled.

"Good," he tapped my nose with his finger, and kissed me again.

**TWO YEARS LATER**

_Home is where you are.  
Kinda tragic that I left your side, left your side, left your side.  
I recall a smile, a kiss when the sun did rise, by your side, I was by your side.  
I gotta tell you how it feels now...  
You're my air when I feel I can't breathe.  
Catching me when I'm tripping over my feet.  
We'll get through this together.  
You're my smile when I just want to cry, make it all better as you kiss my sad eyes.  
I'm giving you my forever, and ever.  
The hug, the kiss, the love.  
All the magic that we're feeling inside, deep inside, deep inside.  
It's hard to find the words the courage is somewhere inside, deep inside, deep inside.  
Gotta tell you how it feels now...  
I'm read to fall.  
You're my air when I feel I can't breathe.  
Catching me when I'm tripping over my feet.  
We'll get through this together.  
You're my smile when I just want to cry, make it all better as you kiss my sad eyes.  
I'm giving you my forever, and ever.  
Sat down thought about it today, if I only have a breath what would I want to say?  
Something sweet, something real – something real sweet.  
Thought real hard...and only one thing, only one thing, oh only one thing came to me.  
You're my air when I feel I can't breathe.  
Catching me when I'm tripping over my feet.  
We'll get through this together.  
You're my smile when I just want to cry, make it all better as you kiss my sad eyes.  
I'm giving you my forever and ever. _

I stopped singing and looked up from my guitar, huge smile on my face. Zach leaned forward and kissed my nose, then my cheeks, then my mouth, then my forehead.

I laughed as he smothered my face in kisses.

"I love it," he murmured, resting his forehead on mine. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," I sighed, leaning into his chest. We were sitting at our favorite spot in town – a fountain in the middle of a plaza. The floor was composed of colorful bricks, and the fountain was splashing cool mist at our backs.

It was around 5:30 in the morning, so nobody was out yet, and it took a lot to get me out of bed today. But it was worth it. Zach and I were going to watch the sunrise, and then go get coffee.

Bex and Grant had gotten married last week, and they were still on their honeymoon. Jonas and Liz had their wedding last summer, in a gorgeous garden. Macey and Tristan had theirs on the beach, with horses and everything (thanks to Macey's dad).

"I...uh," Zach chuckled and rubbed his neck nervously. "I actually wrote you a song, too."

My eyes bugged out of my head. "You did? Can I hear it? I didn't know you could sing!"

Zach snorted. "I can't. This just shows how much I love you," he teased.

I smiled and set my guitar down, and leaned back on my arms. "Sing on."

He looked at me, a faint smile on his full lips, and took out two pieces of paper from his pocket. He handed one to me, so I could read along to the lyrics.

_There's a shop down the street where they sell plastic rings for a quarter a piece, I swear it.  
And I know that it's cheap, not like gold in your dreams, but I hope that you'll still wear it.  
And the ink may stain my skin, and my jeans may all be ripped.  
I'm not perfect, but I swear I'm perfect for you.  
And there's no guarantee that this will be easy.  
It's not a miracle you need, believe me.  
Yea, I'm no angel. I'm just me. But I will love you endlessly.  
Wings aren't what you need, you need me.  
There's a house on the hill with a view of the town, and I know how you adore it.  
So I work everyday through the sun and the rain until I can afford it.  
Yea, your friends may think I'm crazy.  
But they can only see I'm not perfect, but I swear I'm perfect for you.  
And there's no guarantee that this will be easy.  
It's not a miracle you need, believe me.  
Yea, I'm no angel. I'm just me. But I will love you endlessly.  
Wings aren't what you need, you need me.  
The ink may stain my skin, and my jeans may all be ripped.  
I'm not perfect, but I swear I'm perfect for you.  
And there's no guarantee that this will be easy.  
It's not a miracle you need, believe me.  
Yea, I'm no angel. I'm just me. But I will love you endlessly.  
Wings aren't what you need, you need me.  
Girl, you know you need me.  
There's a shop down the street where they sell plastic rings for a quarter a piece, I swear it.  
Yea, I know that it's cheap, not like gold in your dreams,  
but I hope that you'll still wear it..._

Zach bit his lip and looked up at me, but I wasn't looking at him.

I was looking at the paper. I had flipped it around to check if there were anymore lyrics, but taped to the back of that paper was a plastic ring.

A plastic ring in the shape of a key.

I almost dropped the paper.

"Cammie," Zach said, getting down on one knee and taking the paper from my hands, carefully peeling the tape off of the ring.

I laughed and tilted my head back, tears threatening to fall, knowing what was about to happen. Rays of light were peeking over the horizon and illuminating Zach's golden-brown hair, and making his dark green eyes flicker, his eyelashes casting shadows on his high cheekbones.

"You see, there's this shop down the street where they sell plastic rings for a quarter a piece...and I know that it's cheap, not like gold in your dreams, but I hope that you'll still wear it. I will love you, forever and ever. Will you marry me?"

Tears flew down my cheeks and I laughed again, hand over my mouth to stop myself from blubbering. My heart was pounding and I was squeezing Zach's hand so tight that it must've been painful.

"Yes. Yes, Zach. I will marry you," I said. "Yes!"

He grinned madly and kissed me, and slipped the ring on my finger.

He pulled another ring from his pocket, and I put it on his.

It was a lock.

Curious, I took it back and then slipped off my key. I inserted the key into the lock, and turned.

It opened.

"You have the key to my heart," he muttered.

It was engraved on the inside of both of our rings, with a _ZxC_ next to it.

"I love it. God, I love it!" I jumped into his arms, peppering his face with kisses.

Zach laughed and wound his arms around my waist, and we slowly just started aimlessly twirling.

"I immediately thought of you when I saw it. I took it to a special place to get it recreated into actual silver rings, though," he added.

"I think I like the plastic ones better," I teased.

He grinned. "I think I do too."

I was finally marrying Zach.

My best friend, my partner-in-crime, my protector, my protectee, my enemy's son.

My love.

The Circle is gone, and me and Zach, twirling around stupidly holding onto each other watching the sunrise...we were finally free.


End file.
